


Every Single Broken Heart (Will Lead You To The Truth)

by H0locene



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bi disaster!Lin Beifong, Canonical Character Death, Coming of Age, Crushes, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kya's sad and Lin's trying to cheer her up, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, mentions of breakup, small Linzin mention, teenage!kyalin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:14:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/H0locene/pseuds/H0locene
Summary: Lin and Kya, coming togther and drifting apart as they grow into themselves and try to figure out what they mean to each other.Title from When The Right One Comes Along, opb the Nashville Cast
Relationships: Aang & Kya II (Avatar), Aang & Lin Beifong, Izumi & Kya II (Avatar), Katara & Kya II (Avatar), Lin Beifong & Tenzin, Lin Beifong & Toph Beifong, Lin Beifong & Zuko, Lin Beifong/Kya II, Lin Beifong/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 128
Kudos: 255





	1. All That You Are For Me (I'll Be That For You)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whattheflameo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whattheflameo/gifts).



> “So you like Kya,” he surmises, blowing gently on his tea. Lin scowls, feeling her cheeks burn.
> 
> “No, I- I told you, I-”
> 
> “It’s okay if you do,” Zuko continues, and Lin sighs, setting her tea down and drawing her knees up to her chest.
> 
> Kya's going through a breakup, and Lin hates to see her sad.
> 
> Title from Believing, opb the Nashville Cast.
> 
> Okay, so this was only supposed to be a oneshot for Kit's birthday and then the idea wouldn't leave my brain, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you so much to @Linguini for beta'ing this for me.

“Holy fuck!” Lin exclaims, stopping the knife she’d sent flying towards the intruder with a flick of her hand.

Zuko chuckles, “Good technique. Mai will be proud.”

Lin’s cheeks heat. In the moment of adrenaline, she’d forsaken her bending, immediately ruling it out as too dangerous in such a crowded space, and picked up the blade on the workbench to throw at whoever was sneaking up on her. Zuko plucks the knife out of the air and sets it down on the bench again.

“What are you doing down here? It’s three in the morning.”

Lin looks away and wipes her brow. The sweltering of the furnaces is starting to get to her now, but it is definitely not responsible for the heat rising in her cheeks.

“How did you even light these?” Zuko’s voice hardens, and Lin has the grace to look ashamed. She knows she’s not supposed to be down here alone, let alone working. Now her uncle is disappointed in her.

“I… I came down as they were going out and fanned the flames,” she shrugs, and Zuko sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Why couldn’t this wait until morning? Until Izumi or I were around?”

Lin’s heart skips a beat and she looks away, shrugging. “‘S’important,” she mumbles. “I needed to get it finished tonight.”

Zuko frowns, bending to peer into the window of the annealing furnace. “What’s so important that you would risk your own safety to come down here, alone, in the middle of the night, to make?” he turns back around to look at her, pinning her with his intense gaze.

Lin clears her throat uncomfortably. “It’s- it’s a gift,” she says, her cheeks heating. Zuko snuffs out the flames in the main furnace, leaving the annealing furnace gently heating.

“Let’s have some tea,” he says, and begins to leave the workshop. Lin quietly follows.

* * *

“So who’s the lucky guy?” Zuko asks, as he pours tea into Lin’s cup. The steam rises gently, and the soft smell of jasmine rises with it. Lin pauses, her hands halfway to the cup before she draws them back to her person, wrapping her arms around herself and digging her toes into the warm sand.

“There’s no guy,” she replies half-heartedly. It’s true, but it falls flat even to her ears. Zuko hands her a cup with a raised eyebrow.

“There  _ isn’t _ ,” Lin insists, flushing hotly. “It’s just… Kya broke up with her girlfriend and she’s all sad and I was trying to make her happy.”

Her words all run into each other and Lin scowls at herself.  _ Way to go, Beifong, not suspicious in the slightest. _

Zuko hums interestedly, and looks out across the beach, his eyes narrowing in thought. “And this couldn’t wait because…”

“Because… because it couldn’t!” Lin snaps. She lets out a rough breath when she hears herself. “Shit- I’m, I’m sorry Uncle Zuko, I didn’t mean to-”

He gives her a sharp look, and Lin groans. “Fu- I mean flameo- I mean-”

Zuko holds up a hand and silences the awkward teen. There’s silence for a moment before he speaks again.

“So you like Kya,” he surmises, blowing gently on his tea. Lin scowls, feeling her cheeks burn.

“ _ No _ , I- I told you, I-”

“It’s okay if you do,” Zuko continues, and Lin sighs, setting her tea down and drawing her knees up to her chest.

“It’s just a dumb crush, it doesn’t matter,” she says tiredly. “I don’t- I’m not gonna tell her, or anything. I’m just a dumb kid. I just… wanted to make her smile.”

She thinks back to the afternoon, when Kya had yelled at her when she’d come to see if the older girl wanted to join them out on the beach. Lin had started to stomp away, when Kya opened the door and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her into a tight hug and blubbering an apology into her shoulder. Lin had awkwardly patted the older girl on the back, praying to the spirits that Kya couldn’t feel the thundering of Lin’s pulse. They’d spent the afternoon together playing pai sho. Lin made a concerted effort to keep Kya talking, and to keep away from any topics that might set off her crying again. By the time they left the room for dinner, Kya was no longer crying, but Lin had yet to see a smile on her face. And she’s determined to rectify that situation.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it,” Zuko says, laying a hand on Lin’s shoulder. She lets herself fall against her uncle’s side and he pulls her into a one-armed hug. She’s always loved Uncle Zuko’s firm, comforting hugs, but even this can’t stop the ache that wells within her as she thinks of Kya’s misery. Lin buries her head in Zuko’s shoulder, tiredness seeping into her as she took deep lungfuls of the familiar smell of smoke and spice.

“I think it’s time for bed, turtleduck,” he tells her softly, and Lin gives a nod before straightening out. She hasn’t touched her tea, but she realises it doesn’t matter. It had done the trick anyway. Zuko gathers everything back onto the tea tray, and nods her on.

“You head up,” he says. “I’ll sort this.”

* * *

Lin swallows heavily as she turns the small figure over in her hand, before knocking on the door. It’s early - very early - but she’s heard Kya’s sniffling and shuffling from their adjoined wall, and quite frankly, she doesn’t think she has it in her to wait much longer.

She’s a split second from leaving the small sculpture at the door and scurrying away to hide when the door cracks open a little.

“Oh,” Kya croaks, her voice dry and worn. “Hey, Lin. What are you doing up?”

Lin shrugs, her hands behind her back. “Oh, I uh… I couldn’t sleep.”

Kya blinks blearily at her before stepping back and opening the door, inviting Lin into her room.

It’s even more of a mess than it was the day before. The bin is overflowing with tissues, and there are torn scraps of paper scattered all around the room. On some of them, there’s a neat script she doesn’t recognise; fragments of words. She thinks she sees a scrap that says  _ ‘’m sorry’ _ but she can’t be sure.

“Sorry about the mess,” Kya mutters quietly, and Lin shakes her head, even as her nose twitches in distaste.

“It’s- fine,” she says slowly. Kya gives her a knowing look, and Lin shrugs, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s… understandable.”

She thinks to herself that she might sneak back in and tidy up later. The urge to do so right now is almost overwhelming.

Kya huffs out a humourless laugh, and flops back onto her bed. “I’m still not great company,” she warns the younger girl.

“That’s still okay,” Lin responds gently. “I wasn’t going to stay. U-unless you wanted me to, that is. I, uh- I just had something I wanted to give you.”

She sounds like a bumbling idiot, and she inwardly curses herself for it. It makes Kya sit up again, however, an intrigued look in her eye. “What is it?”

Lin holds out the figurine to Kya. It’s a miniature sculpture of the waterbender atop an otter penguin; her favourite activity when visiting her mother’s home.

“I, uh, I made this for you,” she says gruffly, her eyes fixing firmly on the glass figure. Kya takes it gently from her fingers, and Lin watches as she turns it slowly, assessing it.

And then, the reward Lin’s waiting for. It’s only small, the tiniest upward flick of her mouth, but Lin feels like she’s just won the probending championship. It lingers a little longer in her eyes as she gazes at the younger teen softly.

“It’s perfect,” Kya murmurs, her eyes beginning to glisten again. Lin frowns, and her eyebrows crease in concern.

“Oh- no- please don’t cry, Kya, I- I was trying to make you happy, I-”

Kya laughs wetly, before pulling Lin into a tight hug. “This makes me happy,” she reassures the younger girl. “Very much so.”

Lin relaxes in her grip, tentatively bringing her arms up to wrap around Kya’s middle, and her eyes flutter closed as she savours the moment. Her heart is thudding heavily and quickly as she melts into Kya’s soft embrace.

It’s over far too soon, with Kya pulling away to stare at the figurine again. “Thank you so much, Lin,” she gives another small smile. “I’ll put it with the others when I get home.”

“O-oh,” Lin blinks. She’s given Kya several over the years. Mostly, she makes them for herself, or Zuko, or Suyin, but this polar bear puppy crush she’s been nursing since before she can remember has always made her eager to share her creations with Kya.

“You kept those?”

Kya shoots her a confused look. “Of course I did, Lin. You gave them to me.”

Lin feels her cheeks heat and she bites her lip. Her stomach begins to flutter. “Oh. But- but some of them are garbage.”

Kya frowns. “They absolutely are not. I treasure each and every one.”

Lin blushes harder, and turns to look away, when Kya’s hand comes up to catch her cheek, pinning her gaze.

“You’re an amazing artist, Lin. I could never get rid of anything you gave me.”

Oh,  _ Spirits _ , Lin is going to float out of her body at this rate. Between Kya’s compliments and the way her thumb is gently stroking her cheek, she has lost the ability to form full sentences.

“I- uh, oh, it’s- um- uh-”

There’s a soft knock on the door, followed by a call. “Kya, sweetheart, are you awake?”

It’s Uncle Aang, no doubt come to fetch Kya for their morning meditation ritual. Kya’s hand drops and Lin forces down the noise of protest that she feels rise in her throat.

“I’ll just be a second, dad,” Kya replies softly. She turns back to face Lin, giving her a soft smile that makes the teen want to melt. “Thank you, Lin. This has really made my day.”

“It’s hardly started yet,” Lin retorts. Her cheeks are surely hotter than the furnaces now. The look Kya gives her in return is a weak imitation of the cheeky grin the older girl would usually give.

“Then I guess I’m off to a good start,” she says. Kya leans down to press her lips to Lin’s cheek in a chaste, fleeting kiss. Lin blinks rapidly, feeling very lightheaded all of a sudden. She’s not quite able to stop the small exhale of air from leaving her lips, and Kya gives her a small smile as she pulls away.

“I’m going to get changed and head out with dad,” she says. “You’re welcome to join us if you like.”

At the mention of Kya changing clothes, Lin’s brain completely whites out for a moment. “I- uh- n-no, thanks. I actually, uh- I wanted to try and get some more sleep. I’ll- I’ll see you later, Kya.”

Lin hurries out of the room, blowing past a bemused Aang, and shuts herself back in her own room. Once she’s sat on her bed, she presses her fingertips to the spot where Kya’s lips had been moments before, and she can’t hold back the silly grin that spreads across her face.

It’s meaningless, of course - Kya has always been overly touchy-feely, and this is highly characteristic of her. But Lin’s stomach still does backflips as she plays the moment back in her head, over and over, until she falls asleep, dreaming of Kya.


	2. There Are Kingdoms to Keep Us Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin sits on the edge of Kya’s bed, her face drawn into a frown. A backpack sits by the door, with a sleeping mat strapped on top. She can’t look at it. Her stomach is already in knots, and her mouth is dry.
> 
> This day has been coming for months, now.
> 
> Title from The Rivers Between Us, opb the Nashville Cast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as usual to @Linguini for betaing this chapter!
> 
> From here on out, the chapters get a lot lengthier!

Lin sits on the edge of Kya’s bed, her face drawn into a frown. A backpack sits by the door, with a sleeping mat strapped on top. She can’t look at it. Her stomach is already in knots, and her mouth is dry.

This day has been coming for months, now. The crumpled piece of paper in her fist is one of several she’s memorised by heart since she first learned Kya was to go travelling. She’s tried, on many occasions, to tell Kya how she feels.

She told Zuko a year ago that it was merely a childhood crush, but she’s not so sure anymore. Crushes she’s had in the past have been fleeting. And while she knows that love like her aunts and uncles have is rare, knows she shouldn’t believe that could ever happen for her because it’ll only lead to hurt… well, this is draft 23 of her confession.

There are unsent letters, speeches she never made, gifts she could never face giving. All in a wooden box she’s sunk into the floor of her bedroom and secured with a platinum lock so that Su can’t try to get at it.

And yet, as Kya makes last minute checks around her room, talking excitedly of the first stop on her journey, Lin knows that this time will be no different. Because she can’t do it.

Why bother trying, when the only outcomes will hurt? If Kya doesn’t feel the same, then Lin has to live with that embarrassment for the rest of her life, and she’s not quite sure how to handle that. If Kya does… Lin could never stop her from leaving, not when her eyes are shining the brightest they have in several years at the prospect of seeing new sights, learning new things, finally being free of the ties that bind her here. Lin would never want to be one of them. And Lin could never think of leaving, either - this is her home, where she feels comfortable. She knows what she wants from her life and here is where she’ll get it.

Though Kya bends water, and Lin earth, she thinks they are more opposing than it would seem. 

So, the best decision is to simply do nothing. Let her own heart break, and she can get over it. Throw herself into preparing for the entrance exam, for going through training, and finally becoming a cop. Making her mother proud.

“Lin?” Kya’s question pulls her out of her reverie. The older girl looks concerned, so Lin offers a smile. It evidently didn’t hit the mark, because Kya’s frown deepens.

“Is everything okay? I’ve been so wrapped up in my excitement, I forgot to check in with you.”

Lin shrugs, her mouth twisting uncomfortably and her cheeks heating traitorously. “I’m good,” she manages to get out. Kya comes to sit next to her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it tightly. Lin’s breathing stutters and she hopes that Kya doesn’t hear.

“What is it, Lin?” Kya ducks her head to meet Lin’s eyes, but it is far too intense, and Lin’s eyes skitter away.

“N-nothing,” Lin insists. “I just… can’t believe it’s happening.”

Kya chuckles, throwing an arm over Lin’s shoulder and pulling her in close. Linsavours the moment. Sheis normally not one for physical affection, but Kya’s always been the exception.

“You gonna miss me, Linny?” Kya’s voice is light and teasing. Lin scowls, trying to twist away from Kya’s grip, but at the first sign of the waterbender’s resistance, she stops fighting and lets herself be drawn in closer.

“Yes,” comes Lin’s grumpy reply, a few moments of silence later. “Don’t make it weird.”

“It’s not weird,” Kya reassures her softly, running a through over Lin’s hair. She fights with all her might to keep the purring hum from rising any further up her throat. “I’m gonna miss you too.”

Lin snorts.  _ Yeah, right. You’ll forget I even exist. _ Kya huffs at that, pulling away from Lin. Lin frowns, until Kya’s hand comes to tip her jaw up.

“I mean it,” she says firmly, her eyes glinting in a way that dares Lin to challenge her. “Of course I’ll miss you, Lin. You’re my best friend.”

It’s not the first time she’s said it, but it still cuts just as deep, serving as a painful reminder that Kya is most assuredly  _ not _ interested in her the same way she is.

“I’m going to write to you,” she continues. “You better write back.”

Lin rolls her eyes. “You keep saying that, but you never tell me how I’m supposed to reach you.”

Kya smirks at her, standing from the bed and flinging open her window. She lifts her fingers to her mouth and Lin has to look away with a sharp internal reprimand as Kya lets loose a piercing whistle. There’s silence for a moment, then the flap of wings, as a messenger hawk lands on her windowsill.

“Uncle Zuko gave me him as a going away gift,” she turns to Lin smugly. “Wherever I am, he’ll find me.”

Lin shakes her head, bemused. She doubts very much that a bird is capable of finding someone no matter where in the world they go, but Kya got a look of smug determination on her face that Lin is enjoying admiring so she’s not going to say anything to the contrary.

Kya murmurs to the hawk and it flies off again, before shutting the window and turning to look at Lin. The soft, somber look she gives her makes Lin’s heart ache, and she’s walking towards Kya before she can stop herself, scooping the taller girl up into a tight embrace and begging herself to hold it together. Kya returns the hug with enthusiasm, and Lin hears a slight sniffle from above her as the ferry’s hog horn sounds around the island. Kya pulls away, holding Lin at the shoulders and giving her a once over, as though taking a mental picture.

“You better come visit soon,” Lin says sternly, and it’s not gruff so much as thick. Kya gives her a watery smile.

“Of course,” she promises. Lin reaches into her pocket, where her crumpled paper sits, and pushes it aside, pulling out a long, velvet box to offer up to Kya.

Kya gives her a bemused smile as she slides the ribbon off and prises the lid open. Lin cherished the little gasp that escapes Kya’s mouth as she looks down at the gift.

“Oh, Lin,” she murmurs, pulling the bracelet out of the box. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

Lin shifts in place, feeling her cheeks warm. “It’s nothing, really.”

Kya tuts at her, admiring each individual charm on the bracelet: so far a blue and green globe, an air bison, a black badgermole, and the symbols of all four elements. Kya’s finger lingers on the badgermole, before smiling up at Lin and slipping the bracelet around her wrist. It’s a little big, so Lin reaches out and uses her bending to tighten the thin string of metal holding the bracelet together. Kya pulls in for another tight hug.

“You’re the best, thank you! I’m never taking this off.”

Lin chuckles and ducks her head so that Kya can’t see the full effect of her words. The ferry’s horn sounds again, this time much closer, signalling its arrival at the dock. Lin picks up her jacket and shrugs it on, before stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“Don’t, uh- don’t be gone too long,” she manages to say. It doesn’t come out as cool as it sounds in her head, but Kya smiles brightly at her, her eyes twinkling.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” she promises. Lin heads for the dock as quickly as she can. She manages to hold back her tears until the ferry sets off.

* * *

She’s a few weeks into her plan to get over Kya. So far, she’s only cried herself to sleep four times. Which is four times more than is allowed in the plan, but she’s not giving up. The first few days, she manages to keep herself from obsessively checking the mail, but her resolve can only last so long, and she starts checking twice daily. The pain doesn’t lessen with each disappointment, it only gets worse.

Still, she supposes, they wouldn’t call it heartbreak if it didn’t hurt. Lin throws herself into training for the entrance exam. It’s still four months away, but she wants to be ready. Needs to show everyone that she’s capable, worthy of becoming an officer, and not just riding on her mother’s coat tails. She practices for maybe 8-10 hours a day in the courtyard, coming after she’s dropped Su at school, and bringing her back so that Su can do her homework where Katara and Tenzin are ready and willing to help. It doesn’t hurt to be here, because she doesn’t let herself think about Kya. If she thinks about Kya, she loses her edge. And losing her edge could mean the difference between a pass and a fail.

Sometimes Aang spars with her. On an even rarer occasion, she manages to gain the upper hand. He’s effusive with his praise and helpful with his criticisms. His presence is a soothing balm when she stops, her breathing short, head buzzing, and stomach twisting when she looks up to Kya’s window, where the girl would often stick her head out during Lin’s training bouts. 

He’s away on business in the Northern Water Tribe today, so Lin is surprised to hear light footsteps approaching her. They don’t stop, crossing the threshold of the training ground, so Lin fires a chunk of earth at whoever it is that has entered her arena. She spins in time to see the earth deflected by a gust of air.

Tenzin, then.

She’s not seen him in a while - between his airbending training and her desire to spend as much time with Kya as possible before her departure, Lin can’t remember the last time the two of them have had a conversation. He looks uncharacteristically nervous, and won’t meet her gaze.

“What’s up, airhead?” she asks, still lightly panting from exertion as she wipes sweat from her forehead and stalks over to her water bottle, guzzling it thirstily. She’s never worried about minding her manners around Tenzin, if only because it seems to perturb him.

“I’m, uh, sorry for the intrusion, but,” Tenzin’s stammering and hesitating, which makes Lin frown. He’s usually the type to think his sentences through before he speaks.

“Spit it out,” she says, rolling her eyes. Her interest is piqued.

“I have tickets to a play. I was wondering if you might accompany me. To dinner beforehand, as well.”

He spits his words out in a rush, and Lin’s brow raises higher and higher with every word he says.

“Oh.”

That’s an… intriguing turn of events. He clasps his hands behind his back and rocks on his heels slightly. His head is completely shorn and it’s still a sight Lin is adjusting to, as well as the arrow that newly adorns his head. The red halo around it has faded now, for the most part, although the pink hue that rises up his face in the wake of her silence eclipses it.

A date? With Tenzin? She takes in a deep lungful of air, and considers the offer. It still hurts to think of Kya, but she enjoys the airhead’s company, and it might be a help in getting over her.

“Sure,” Lin says, throwing her water bottle down. Tenzin blinks in surprise.

“Oh! Right. Well then, very good,” he clears his throat and shuffles his cloak. Lin snorts and rolls up onto the balls of her feet.

“You know the rules, Tenzin. Fight or get out of the ring.”

He smiles, then, his shoulder drops as he relaxes, and discards his cape. Lin grins in response and settles into a fighting stance.

* * *

Kya’s first letter arrives three days after their fourth date. The first two had been fine; nice, Lin supposes. They hadn’t felt particularly date-like, more like hanging out with one of her closest friends. Tenzin was trying not to push her boundaries, and she appreciated it. The last two… he was still very respectful of her boundaries, but his body language and his tone of voice when he spoke hinted at something more, something that made Lin’s stomach churn with anxiety, rather than anticipation. She’d held his clammy hand on a walk back to the dock, and she’d let him kiss her check goodnight, but it felt nothing like the kiss Kya had once pressed in almost the same spot, and guilt burned angrily in her chest.

This is wrong. She shouldn’t be dating Tenzin when she has feelings for his sister. She can’t lead him on like this. On paper, she and Tenzin are very compatible - they have a strong friendship, share many of the same hobbies, share opinions and have healthy debates over the ones they disagree on. In another life, he could be perfect for her. But she’s in this one, and despite her best efforts, still hung up on Kya.

The bitter feeling that’s been building in the face of what feels like rejection every time she opens the mail is completely blown aside when Tenzin drops the letter into her hand. She bites down on the huge smile that spreads across her face when she sees it, and Tenzin sighs.

“We should talk,” he says softly, and Lin’s face falls, resigned. She invites him in and begins brewing some tea, moving aside the notes she’s been making all morning in preparation for the written part of her exam.

Tenzin waves his hand to cool the tea to drinking temperature, and lets out a deep sigh, before saying. “This isn’t working, is it?”

Lin grimaces, and takes a sip of the oolong. “I don’t think it is,” she replies gently. He’s her friend, he deserves her honesty. “I’m sorry. I thought I could…”

Tenzin nods, and she doesn’t need to see his face to know the glum expression he wears. “It’s okay,” he reassures her. “I’m glad we tried.”

She reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder, and he lifts his head to face her with a resigned look.

“We’re still friends, right?” she asks softly, hopefully. Tenzin gives her a small smile. Hurt laces his features, but he nods.

“Yeah,” he says, swallowing. “I just might… need a minute.”

Lin nods in understanding, before turning back to her tea. She can’t take her eyes off the letter that sits on the table between them, her nerves buzzing in anticipation of what it might contain. She knows logically that it will most definitely be mundane, but that doesn’t stop the stupid  _ what if _ voice in the back of her head.

“Do you-“ Tenzin starts. “Are- were you and Kya…”

“No!” Lin says sharply, as her head jerks up to look at Tenzin. She can already feel her cheeks start to heat. “No. If that were the case, I’d have never…”

He nods to himself, taking a long sip of his drink. “But you like her, though,” he says quietly. Lin scowls, and Tenzin huffs a laugh. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He sighs, staring into his cup. “If that’s the case, then why did you…”

“It’s not, and this isn’t me saying that it is,” Lin growls. “But I like you, Tenzin, and I thought I could… I don’t know, learn to like you more.”

Tenzin’s quiet for a moment. “It’s okay if you do like her, though-“

“Tenzin, I swear to  _ Tui- _ “

“I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

Lin sighs roughly, draining the rest of her drink. “Even if I  _ did _ like her - which I  _ don’t  _ \- I think talking to you about it would be pretty fucking twisted.”

Tenzin chokes on his drink at the curse, and Lin laughs as he blows the liquid from his clothes, scowling.

* * *

She  _ does _ want to talk about it, though, because no matter how hard she tries, it’s not going away. So she writes to Uncle Zuko, asking for his advice. His letter comes sooner than Kya’s response to her, with a promising offer.

He’s invited her to the Fire Nation capital to spend a few weeks at the palace. He knows she’d be concerned about her training, and tells her Izumi is more than willing to spar with her. With the amount of firebenders in Republic City, combined with the fact that she doesn’t know many, this offer excites her. She rarely gets the chance to spar with firebenders and it will surely help to improve her skills.

Lin eagerly returns his letter before telling her mother and Su that she’ll be away. Her mother appears as though she couldn’t care less, and Su flounces angrily off into her room, causing Lin to roll her eyes. She’s not sure what’s gotten into her sister lately, but she’s becoming a brat that’s more and more difficult to handle.

As the boat sets sail, Lin shivers with anxiety. She watches Republic City get ever smaller until it’s but a speck on the horizon, then heads inside. She’s never travelled by herself before, but she’s also never really considered herself a homebody until now. Everything will be fine when she arrives; Caldera is somewhere she’s familiar with visiting. But the boat jostles gently with the tides to remind her that she’s very much out of her element, literally. Her hand reaches down to feel the throwing knives pressed against her skin. It’s absurd to think that someone would try to attack her on her journey, but Lin hates feeling defenceless. She’s always wondered if she should’ve taken Aunt Ty Lee up on her offer to learn chi-blocking.

Izumi smiles widely as Lin steps off the boat, flanked by her usual two guardsmen. Lin steps aside to allow others off the boat, before bowing respectfully. People are noticing Izumi’s presence and gasping, and her bright smile tightens.

“It’s good to see you, cousin,” she greets warmly. “Shall we?” Lin’s gaze follows Izumi’s arm to the ostrich horse-drawn carriage a little ways behind them. Zuko had become disillusioned with the idea of palanquins, and in his younger days had often taken to walking around himself, or travelling via ostrich-horse, finding the pomp a little too ostentatious after his travels. However, after Izumi’s birth and an attempt at a coup, Zuko had begun to insist that his family travel by carriage.

They settle in the carriage and make polite small talk, and it’s clear that Izumi doesn’t know the real reason for her visit, which makes her feel relieved. She’s not sure she can handle her older friend’s pity right now. They talk about Izumi’s growing political responsibilities and Lin’s preparations for the academy. Briefly, they touch on Kya and her travels, amidst the news from Republic City, and Lin’s heart wrenches at the mention of her name. She thinks of the 23 confessions stuffed at the bottom of her bag and her stomach twists. She’s here to get over Kya, but part of her doesn’t want to let go of the way the waterbender makes her feel. But holding onto the moments of euphoria, few and far between, is not worth all the pain and longing that come with it.

They arrive at the palace, and once they’re through to the gardens, Zuko wastes no time sweeping her up into a tight hug. She’s needed it so much that it’s overwhelming, and tears start to fall from her eyes unbidden. His hand comes up to cup her head and he sways them slowly from side to side, murmuring soft shushing noises. Lin’s not sure how long they stand there like that, but it’s long enough for Izumi to go and return with tea, and Zuko leads them to the side of the turtleduck pond to sit. One of the ducklings clambers out of the water and walks over to them, sniffing curiously. Zuko smiles, and holds out a hand to it, palm up. The duckling lets out a pleased ‘quack’ and scrambles into his palm, accepting his pats happily.

Lin accepts the handkerchief that Zuko produces, swiping her eyes with the back of her hand angrily, and blowing her nose noisily. The noise startles the turtleduck, who let out a distressed sound and scrambles down from Zuko’s hands.

“Sorry,” Lin mutters, but Zuko just gives her a soft smile.

“He’ll come back,” he replies fondly. Lin wants to roll her eyes, because of  _ course _ Uncle Zuko has a favourite turtleduck, but she refrains.

“This is stupid, I’m sorry,” Lin half-laughs at herself. “I should be over this by now.”

Zuko shakes his head, resting a palm between her shoulder blades. “It takes a while to heal a broken heart,” he says gently, before reaching over to pick up a teacup. Lin accepts it with a small upturn of the corner of her mouth, blowing across the surface of the liquid.

“I miss her,” she says quietly, forlornly. “And I’m so  _ sick  _ of feeling like this. Nothing I’m doing is  _ working! _ ”

Her voice raises slightly, and there’s more indignant squawks from the turtleducks as the ground rumbles. Lin lets out a harsh breath and closes her eyes, trying to relax a little. It wouldn’t do to cause an earthquake by accident - she’s supposed to have better control of her bending, being that she’s supposedly a master.

“I wish it were different, turtleduck. But only time can heal this pain.”

“How  _ much _ time?” Lin asks bitterly. Zuko takes a long sip of his tea.

“That’s indeterminable.”

Lin growls. He must be right, he  _ always _ is, but that doesn’t make Lin feel any less frustrated.

“I tried dating Tenzin,” she says, after a long pause. Zuko splutters into his tea, his head whipping around to face her. Lin huffs a laugh at his response, bending a pebble over from the shore to play with it between her fingers.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, it  _ is _ quite a ridiculous idea,” she pauses, sips at her tea. “He seemed to take it well, though. Other than suggesting I have feelings for Kya.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow at her. “You  _ do _ have feelings for Kya,” he says, somewhat bemusedly. Lin scowls.

“...well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want everybody to know about my business,” she huffs disdainfully.

“Mai will be back from visiting her brother tomorrow morning,” Zuko says abruptly. Lin blinks down at her tea. “She’s recently taken up axe throwing. I’m sure she’d be pleased to show you.”

Lin offers a half-smile and finishes the dregs of her tea, grimacing at the slightly bitter taste. “Sounds fun.”

“To the workshop before dinner?” Zuko asks as she hands her cup back for him to put on the tray beside him. Lin nods. Some distraction is exactly what she came for.

* * *

She stays for a month. Zuko, Mai, and Izumi keep her quite busy between them, and she’s grateful for it. She spends hours throwing axes and shooting arrows with Mai, enjoying the challenge of learning new skills. She even tries applying the knowledge gained from archery to throwing pebbles, with the help of earthbending. It’s something she always thought was cool, reading Kyoshi’s memoirs, but something she never had any particular skill with. Her aim isn’t as accurate as Lek’s was proclaimed to be, but she’s pleased with her progress nonetheless.

She spends time sparring with Izumi, and finds the princess is very helpful in quizzing her on the written material she’s been learning. She even finds some joy in teaching the young Iroh some earthbending stances and watches him try to incorporate them into his firebending. They don’t lead to any production of fire, but he appears to enjoy himself nonetheless. He’s quiet and studious, like his mother and grandfather, and Lin finds that she actually doesn’t hate his company in short bursts. The wailing infant Ursa, however, is another matter entirely. 

As for Zuko, they spend most of their time in the workshop, working on all kinds of projects. Her favourite is the 1ft high scale model of Druk, coloured exactly like the dragon. It’s cathartic and relaxing, and Lin begins to think that maybe she will get over this, after all. With each day that passes, she thinks of Kya less and less. In the moments the waterbender comes to mind, Lin pushes the thought aside, focusing on staying grounded in the moment. She receives a letter in her second week, and it takes her three days to open it. Her heart still pangs as she reads through, but she doesn’t think it’s as painful as it once was.

In her last evening in the Fire Nation. She requests some alone time in the workshop, which of course, Zuko does not grant. He does, however, retreat to the other side of the workshop, ostensibly to pen a letter.

After triple checking that Zuko is not paying her much mind, Lin draws the stack of papers from her bag. The 23 aborted confessions. Lin stands at the edge of the furnace, her hands gloved and brow sweltering as she throws each paper into the flames, one after another. She lets out a long, measured breath as she lets each one go. As she watches the last last paper catches fire and begins to dissolve away before her eyes. Her heart feels heavy, yet somehow freed. She takes the charm she had made earlier in the evening from the tray with her bending. It is still far too hot to touch - she wouldn’t allow Zuko to help her, to see it at all, out of fear of embarrassment.

“I’m heading to bed,” Lin says to Zuko, her voice raised but soft. He bids her goodnight, and she quickly leaves the workshop.

* * *

The ship departs early in the morning. She’s there as the sun rises, accompanied by Zuko. They visit the beach before heading to the docks, and Lin spends some time with her toes curled into the sand, letting the tide brush the tops of her toes.

She draws the charm from her pocket, and holds it up to her eye. It’s an anatomically correct heart, the dawn light filtering through the transparent object beautifully. She’s letting go. She doesn’t want this gloom hanging over her when she returns home. Instead, she will focus on her studies, earn her place in the academy, and put herself on the path of success. 

Lin tosses the charm into the air, manipulating her hand so as to catch it, midair, with her bending. She whips it around her head, letting the heart gain momentum as it circles her. She takes a deep, stabilising breath and a heartbeat later, the charm zips across the water. It’s too small to see when it lands, but the air quiets for a moment, just in time to hear a faint dropping sound.

She lets a tear fall, hitting the sand with a dull thud, before turning to return to Zuko.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	3. The Day Made Me Heavy (And Gravity Won)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s soft. Sad. She can’t just walk away when Kya says her name like that. Lin squeezes her eyes shut, takes a breath, and closes the distance between them. She opens her mouth, but doesn’t know exactly what it is she wants to say. Kya beats her to the punch.
> 
> “I missed you,” she murmurs, and Lin swears that for a moment, her heart stops.
> 
> Oh no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Fade into You opb. Nashville cast. Just a warning - this is the chapter where the fic earns its E rating.
> 
> Thanks as ever to @Linguini for being a wonderful beta!

Lin sighs, rubbing her temples, as she resignedly walks Kya in through the front doors of the station. She’s not bothering to hold onto her; Kya won’t run away.  _ And  _ she’s fairly well acquainted with her way to the cells.

Although this is one of the more tenuous times she’s been arrested, Lin’s sure. It’s a pretty clear-cut affray charge, not to mention destruction of public property, but being who she is, and trying to keep the two sides apart as she was, she’ll get off with a slap to the wrist, and maybe a small fine.

There’s a headache growing across her forehead. The whispers have not stopped since the minute Lin arrived on the scene, along with some other officers.

_ “Wow, what a sight for sore eyes, Officer Beifong,” she’d grinned as she directed the water from the broken fire hydrant to the feet of the fleeing men and froze them where she stood. “About time you guys got here. Although I’ve pretty much got it handled.” _

_ “Kya,” Lin frowned, “you know it’s illegal to-“ _

_ “Yeah, yeah, vigilante justice, leave it to the cops, yada yada,” she rolls her eyes. “They’d have done a lot more damage if I hadn’t intervened.” _

_ Lin surveyed the scene. There was an upturned Cabbage Corp. ostrich horse cart, and a busted window here and there, but admittedly not much damage besides. The other officers were rounding up the frozen gang members, but shooting her snide side glances as they did so. She heard snippets of mutters: ‘Beifong’s too important to do the grunt work’, ‘of course she’s just standing there, letting the rest of us deal with this.’ A dark scowl settled across her face, as she heard Qiang snapping at them to ‘quit your whining and do your job.’ _

_ There was a look of concern, crossed with pity, on Kya’s face as she held her wrists out. She huffed with annoyance. She didn’t need anyone’s pity. Lin pulled her cuffs out of her pockets and set them around Kya’s wrist with less force than she would for any other criminal. She began reading Kya her rights, and rolled her eyes as the older woman mouthed along with her. She looked good. Her brown skin was tanned prettily, and her large blue eyes still twinkled in a way that made her chest tighten slightly. She smelled… different, unfamiliar spice and floral notes permeating the air around her, but she could still pick out the familiar note of Kya underneath it all. Her mouth had stopped forming words, curling into a smirk, and snapped Lin out of her reverie. _

_ “Are you taking me in, Officer? Or do you have a different punishment in mind?” _

_ Lin blinked rapidly, choking on her own spit as her cheeks flared with heat. Unwilling to say anything lest she make a fool of herself in front of her colleagues, she grabbed Kya roughly by the join in the cuffs and shoved her towards the police van. _

_ “Oh, Li-in,” Kya sing-songed, just as she grabbed the doors. Lin raised an unimpressed eyebrow, as she leaned in at the beckoning of her friend. _

_ “I always knew you’d look good in uniform,” she winked. Lin’s breathing stuttered, and she slammed the doors shut in Kya’s face, still able to make out a light giggle through the wood. Qiang looked at her in bemusement, and she scowled in return, stalking around the vehicle to sit in the passenger section. The other officers sniggered at her as the cart pulled away, and Lin’s scowl deepened as she felt her ears, thankfully covered by her hair, burn. _

“So that’s it?”

Lin is walking away from the holding cell as the door is shut by the officer on duty when Kya calls out to her. There’s hurt in the waterbender’s voice, and something in Lin’s gut twists. She sighs, turning back to face her.

“No  _ ‘how are you, how have your travels been?’ _ I haven’t heard from you in two years.”

There’s a snicker behind her, poorly disguised as a cough, and Lin takes a deep breath before speaking.

“I have to go write my report,” she tells her, as levelled as she can manage. Strands of guilt are coalescing in her stomach now, both at the wounded look Kya is giving her, and at the fact that she hasn’t spoken to her friend in so long. “I’ll call the island.”

She hears a gasp behind her, as the duty officer realises exactly who is in his cell, and Kya scowls. “I can’t wait for the White Lotus lecture,” she mutters sarcastically.

“I’m pretty sure Bumi’s on shore leave,” Lin tries to offer helpfully, but this seems to displease Kya more.

“So you’ve been keeping up with my family, but you couldn’t find the time to return my letters?” There’s something in her gaze that isn’t anger or disappointment. She seems… upset. And it hurts. Lin needed the space, but she never considered that it might impact Kya this way.

“I-“ Lin swallows. “I have to go. I’ll see you at some point.”

“ _ Lin. _ ”

It’s soft. Sad. She can’t just walk away when Kya says her name like that. Lin squeezes her eyes shut, takes a breath, and closes the distance between them. She opens her mouth, but doesn’t know exactly what it is she wants to say. Kya beats her to the punch.

“I missed you,” she murmurs, and Lin swears that for a moment, her heart stops.

_ Oh no. _

Kya’s looking at her with wide, earnest eyes that are searching for forgiveness for something she thinks she’s done. Lin wants to lean in, press a thumb to the crease in her brow and smooth it away. She wants to lace their hands together and tell her that Kya’s done nothing wrong, that it’s all Lin and her stupid feelings. The very same stupid feelings she could’ve sworn she left on the other side of the Mo Ce Sea.

“I, uh…” she stutters for a moment, before collecting herself. The last thing she needs are her coworkers seeing her weak. “I’ll come to the island. We can talk more then.”

And with that, she turns on her heel and leaves the cells with a brisk walk that most certainly cannot be compared to fleeing.

* * *

Her mother keeps digging her elbow into her side as they eat. No doubt she can hear the spike in Lin’s heart rate every time Kya’s eyes catch hers, with that small smile Lin  _ swears _ is meant for her alone.

Simply put, this is torture.

She can’t focus on any of the conversation going over her head, mechanically shoving food into her mouth as her brain short circuits over the warmth in Kya’s laugh and the way her hair is a few shades lighter and slightly curlier; sun-bleached. The joy and excitement in her voice as she recalls anecdotes from her travels.

She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed Kya until this moment, as her heart aches with fondness and a contentment settles over her - everything is right with the world.

It takes Kya raising an eyebrow at her, a smirk playing on her lips, to realise she’s been staring at the older girl for what is probably an inappropriate amount of time, now, and ducks her head to hide the reddening of her cheeks.

How the flameo did she use to hide this? Because right now, she’s about as subtle as a gemsbok bull in a porcelain shop. 

For the rest of the meal, she forces herself to stay in the moment. She can’t help but sneak glances at the girl every now and again, however - she’s been gone for three years; it’s perfectly platonic to want to drink in the sight of one of her closest friends after so long. She even joins in with the conversation at certain points, retelling the story of Kya’s return to Republic City to an amused Aang and an exasperated Katara.

“And how is work, when you’re not arresting my children?” Aang asks dryly. Kya rolls her eyes and Bumi cackles. Lin looks sheepishly over Aang’s shoulder and clears her throat.

“Uh, well, I just got told by my Captain that I’m getting promoted,” she says quietly, shifting in her seat.

Thrilled congratulatory exclamations ring around the room, but her mother is completely silent on the matter; less than the grunt of acknowledgement she received when she first informed her of the news. Lin feels anger flare in her chest but it’s quickly overwhelmed by the feelings of disappointment and shame. She should’ve made it quicker than a year and a half. She vows to make it to Sergeant in half the time.

Lin takes a quick swig of her drink and feels a tingling on her scalp. She looks up to see Kya gazing at her, beaming with pride as she mouths, “Congrats, Detective,” across the table. She feels heat rise in her cheeks again, and shrugs it off, an awkward smile tugging at her lips. The warmth that spreads through her at Kya’s words makes quick work of the negative feelings dulling her mood.

* * *

There’s a gentle, refreshing breeze in the evening air as they walk down to the beach. The slowly setting sun is making it hard to look at Kya, lest she want to stare into it, but it has the very appealing benefit of illuminating the girl, giving her an ethereal glow.

She’s talking about some girl she met whilst she was travelling and Lin is concentrating so hard on her face, making sure that her features are not as jealous as she feels, that she fails to notice the rock in her path. Kya takes her by the arm and drags her out of the way, knocking Lin slightly off-balance. Which would’ve been fine. Ordinarily, she would’ve recovered and continued walking as though nothing had happened. Ordinarily, if Lin hadn’t suddenly realised that Kya’s long, slender fingers are wrapped around her bicep, squeezing lightly, which causes her brain to white out and results in a momentary lapse of motor control.

She trips over her own feet, accidentally dragging Kya down with her. There’s a moment of silence, shock passing over both their expressions, before Kya begins to laugh. At her. Lin looks away, scowling as she feels her cheeks redden, but being the reason that such a noise exists does things to her heart, and she can’t help the small smile that tugs at her lips. Kya stands, and offers a hand to help Lin up. If it were anyone else, Lin would scowl at the offer. But Kya is offering her a chance to hold her hand, just for a moment, and Lin is definitely not passing that up. So she takes the hand, repressing a shiver as she stands (and leaving her wondering what it is about romantic feelings that means even something as small as handholding can elicit such a reaction).

They set off again at a leisurely pace, and Lin is left thinking about how, instead of letting go, Kya’s fingers gently push in between hers as she laces their hands together and swings their joined arms absent-mindedly between them. Lin’s heart is about to beat right out of her chest.

Kya releases her hand as they approach the water, and Lin can’t bite back the soft sigh of disappointment as she does so. The waterbender takes the shawl from her shoulders and sets it on the ground, sitting down on top of it and patting the space beside her.

“I feel like I’ve been talking all evening! How have you been, Lin?” asks Kya, shooting her a curious look.

Lin shrugs. Truthfully, not much about Lin’s life has changed since the last letter she sent to Kya, two years ago. She wakes up, goes to work, stays late, comes home, rinse, repeat.

“Y’know. Not really much to report about,” Lin retracts the metal soles of her shoes and curls her toes into the slightly-warm sand. Kya doesn’t believe it for a second, probing Lin with questions until she’s telling her about some of the funnier cases she’s worked, and some of the more daring things she’s done during her time on the force. Kya’s a captive audience; her peals of laughter and gasps of shock make the world seem a little brighter.

After her last story about a drugs bust gone wrong and the way Lin and her partner Qiang had managed to stop the Triad members from getting away, silence falls between the pair.

“So,” Kya waggles her eyebrows. “Any updates on the dating scene?”

Lin blushes. “Oh, uh… nothing serious,” she shrugs. “There have been a couple people.”

“Oh?” Kya leans in interestedly, her hair brushing against Lin’s shoulder. She freezes at the touch.

“Anyone I’d know?”

She’s caught off guard, and instead of glossing over it, she finds herself saying, “Not for the most part.”

“So there  _ is _ someone I’d know?” Kya questions, her eyes dancing with delight. Lin flushes, opens and shuts her mouth a few times, before sighing.

“It’s not a big deal,” she prefaces, but this just makes Kya grin wider. “But I dated Tenzin for a fe-“

“Tenzin?” Kya exclaims loudly. Lin winces, her ear twinging at the force of her voice.

“Look, I told you, it’s not a big deal-“

“You dated my  _ brother? _ ”

Lin’s not entirely sure she’s not just misreading the situation, but the furrow on Kya’s brow and the frown of her mouth don’t look to be regular anger. They look… almost  _ jealous. _

“Kya,” she says firmly, filing away that particular detail for later. “It’s really not a big deal. It was not long after you left, and we went on like, four dates.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me whil-“ Kya cuts herself off abruptly, softly biting at her lower lip.

Lin chuckles dryly. “While I was still writing to you?” she asks. Kya turns her head away, and Lin sighs. “I wasn’t going to tell you about anything that wasn’t serious. And it didn’t feel serious to me, which is why we called it off.”

Kya makes no sound, no nod of her head to show she’s heard her. Lin sighs again, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her cheek against them.

“I’m sorry I stopped writing,” she starts, before swallowing thickly and searching for an answer which is not the pathetic truth:  _ I needed to fall out of love with you but clearly it didn’t work. _

“You were off having these grand adventures,” she starts speaking before her brain can catch up to her mouth. “And I felt like I was just saying the same things over and over. I figured you’d get bored of me, and I didn’t- I couldn’t-“

“ _ Lin _ ,” Kya’s facing her now, frowning as she looks down at the young officer. “I could  _ never _ get bored of you.

She laughs mirthlessly. Kya, this wonderfully electric woman whose nomadic roots call her to see the world. Lin’s life of monotonously rounding up criminals and filling in reports could never compare. How she could think Lin would have anything interesting to share is beyond her.

But Kya’s standing her ground, staring imploringly at Lin. She raises her head, her gaze dropping to Kya’s mouth as it opens again, but the words she was about to speak never come. Instead, Kya’s eyes are urgently flitting about her face, searching for  _ something _ , and Lin unconsciously leans in closer, swallowing hard. A tiny smile plays at the corner of Kya’s mouth as Lin leans in further. Blood is roaring past her ears and, okay, Kya is definitely leaning in, and a soft puff of air brushes across her lips. Lin’s eyes flutter shut involuntarily as she shivers in anticipation-

The clock tower bell chimes loudly, and Lin blinks, the air in front of her suddenly colder. She straightens to see Kya’s eyebrows raised wide in shock, and she scrambles up so quickly she almost falls over herself. Kya’s blinking up at her, eyes wide, as she stammers out an excuse and, okay, this time, she most certainly is fleeing.

* * *

It turns out that avoiding Air Temple Island for three weeks is not that hard once you’ve been promoted to detective. She’s assigned several cases and finds herself very quickly keeping longer and longer hours as she works hard to solve the cases assigned to her. It’s obvious, of course, the reason these cases have been assigned to her - they’re trying to show her up, make her look incompetent by trying to solve the unsolvable.

It takes two weeks, but the thrill of bringing the man responsible for a heist the entire station thought was flawlessly executed is like no other high she’s ever experienced.

Her mother looked almost impressed as she turned in her arrest report.

A couple of times, Kya has come to the apartment as she’s on her way out (or as she senses her and hurries out the door). Once or twice she’s shown up at the station, asking if Lin could take a break to grab some food. The last time, she appeared to have given up entirely, leaving a bag of homemade food, piping hot, with a note attached imploring her to eat. She feels a little guilty as she sits at her desk and eats the food, but throws herself back into her work anyway.

She’s not seen her in a few days, and she’s simultaneously relieved and disappointed at the fact.

So much so that as she leaves the station in the late evening for the first time in almost a month, she looks to the docks and hesitates, for just a moment, before turning to head for home.

The Chief’s still in her office, and Suyin will be spirits know where, so she’ll be alone for dinner. She starts planning what she might like to eat. Perhaps something quick, so that she might do some reading before turning in. It’s got to be something that tastes fine after cooling, because she knows her mother and sister won’t have thought to feed themselves. She stops by the store before heading home, picking up a few quick ingredients. She fishes her keys out of her pocket, not noticing until the last second that she’s not alone.

Kya’s sat by the front door, legs crossed out in front of her, bringing a book down to rest on her lap as she looks up at Lin.

“Hi,” she says softly, a wary smile on her face. Lin blinks once, twice, and then sighs. There’s no excusing herself from this one.

“How long have you been waiting?” she grunts, stepping over Kya’s legs to reach the door. She slots the key in the lock.

“Hmm,” Kya places her book in her bag and stands, “What time is it?

“A little after eight,” Lin says, stepping through the door and flicking on the light. She steps out of her shoes, but doesn’t feel the vibrations of Kya following. Her friend remains at the door, and questioning look on her face. She’s respecting Lin’s boundaries and Lin hates that it makes her stomach flip.

She draws a breath, tilts her head inside before she stalks further into the house, placing her work bag inside her bedroom before heading to the kitchen. Kya’s waiting for her there.

“It was only a couple of hours,” Kya continues their earlier conversation as Lin begins to unpack her groceries. “Caught the 4:30.”

There’s silence for a moment, as Lin washes her vegetables and sets out a chopping board. As she makes her first cut into the onion, Kya speaks again.

“Lin-“ she starts, but Lin can’t start this right now.

“I need to make dinner,” she says, her tone brokering no argument. There’s a beat of nothingness, but then Kya retrieves a second knife and begins silently helping her chop up the food.

“So, uh…” Kya starts. Lin shoots her a pointed look, but Kya continues anyway. “You… haven’t been to dinner on the Island since- uh-“

Lin is steadfastly looking at her chopping board. She clears her throat uncomfortably. “Oh, uh, no… I, uh… I’ve been pretty busy… at work… y’know.”

She shoots a sideways glance at Kya, who’s bobbing her head awkwardly.

“Oh, yeah, of course… I, uh… your mom- she said there was this big case you were working on, and you- you did really well with it. Not- uh- she said- it was-“

Lin pauses, frowning a little. Kya’s nervous. Why would  _ she _ be nervous? She’s not the one who made a fool of herself.

“Yeah…” she starts slowly. “It, uh, it was difficult but my partner and I- wait… my mom brought it up?”

She looks up to see Kya giving her a small smile. “Yeah. I know Aunt Toph’s… not usually too expressive, but y’know, she seemed proud, by her standards.”

“Oh,” Lin swallows hard, lighting the stove and biting back a small smile. She’s reeling slightly, feeling a little lightheaded as she prepares to fry off the vegetables. Kya’s hand comes up to her arm, a light, comforting touch that would not normally be amiss between them. But they both freeze, and Lin looks down to Kya’s hand before looking up at the waterbender again. Kya pulls her hand back as though it’s been burned, looking away so quickly Lin swears she hears a clicking sound from her neck.

She cooks in an uncomfortable silence.

“You, uh… you brought me lunch,” Lin speaks up as she serves up two bowls, before pouring the rest out into a container.

“Oh, that,” Kya laughs breathily. “Yeah, um… I just figured, y’know, with all the late nights, and I mean, I know your mom can’t cook and I assumed Su wouldn’t be able to either, and I just- yeah.”

“It was… nice. Thank you. Dinner?”

“Oh, uh, thank you, but… I’m not hungry.”

She looks up to see Kya wringing her hands together, and suddenly, Lin feels almost violently sick.

“So I guess-“

“So about that-“

They both chuckle awkwardly, and Lin leads Kya into the living room. The kitchen is small, cramped, and Lin’s feeling restless. Kya perches herself on the arm of the sofa as Lin begins to pace.

The grandfather clock ticks loudly, interspersed with the soft taps of her feet on the floor. She should say something. Get it over with. Rip off the band-aid.

“I’m sorry,” Kya blurts out. Lin pauses.

“I’m so sorry, Lin. I- I didn’t mean to make things awkward, I just thought that- but clearly-“

“Wait,” Lin frowns, slowly turning to look at Kya. “ _ You’re  _ sorry?”

The other girl nods tentatively, starting to look confused.

“Why?”

Kya blinks, clearly not expecting the question. “For- for trying to kiss you.”

Wait,  _ what?  _ Lin feels her breathing begin to quicken. Kya  _ had been _ trying to kiss her.

“You wanted to kiss me?” Lin blinks stupidly. Kya looks thoroughly confused now.

“I- yeah, that’s why I… wait- if that’s not- why have you been avoiding me?”

She blushes. “I, uh… you pulled away,” she stammers. “I thought-“

Kya gets to her feet a little shakily. Her gaze is distant, as though she’s replaying the moment in her mind. Lin swallows, taking a tentative step forward.

And then her face clears. In place of the unfocused expression, Kya’s eyes fix on her with determination.

The moments before are simultaneously brief and excruciatingly long as Lin almost trips over the coffee table in trying to round it. But then Kya’s arms are on her waist, and Kya’s hair brushes the tops of her shoulders and Kya’s mouth is pressing against hers.

Lin lets out a sharp breath. Her heart feels like a hummingbird straining to break free of her chest. Kya’s mouth is so unbelievably soft. Her hands come up tentatively, skirting up Kya’s torso and she revels in the shiver it elicits in the waterbender. Her hands tighten around Lin’s waist and pull her in closer, and everything about this is electrifying. Kya’s body is warm as it presses against hers, and Lin slides her hands into Kya’s long, silky hair. It feels just as wonderful as Lin thought it would. She feels ecstatic, euphoric, lightheaded… very, very lightheaded.

Lin pulls back and tries not to gasp in a breath, but judging by the amused gleam in Kya’s eye, she’s not as smooth as she thought.

“You okay?” the older woman hums. She’s never seen such a lightness in Kya’s eyes before, and yeah, she’s just going to have to accept the fact that she’s never going to breathe properly again.

“Uh, yeah, yeah,” she nods, almost giddily. Kya giggles, and Lin feels her cheeks heat as she grins widely. “I’m just gonna-“

Lin’s hands come up to cup Kya’s face and the waterbender grins, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

They stumble towards the bedroom clumsily. Kya’s hands are under her shirt, skimming at her chest wrappings, and her tongue is in her mouth, and Lin feels like she’s floating. She distractedly flicks out her hand to bend the door handle and push the door open. There are crashes in the vicinity and maybe she shouldn’t metalbend when she’s this distracted but Lin cannot find it in herself to care. Her hand is back on Kya as quick as she can possibly manage, trying to find the tie to her dress and coming up empty. Kya chuckles into her mouth as she walks Lin back through the door, kicking it shut with her foot, and quickly turning Lin around to press her against the door. She whines as Kya pulls away. The waterbender smirks as she nips down Lin’s jaw, her hand coming up to nudge Lin’s head higher so she can kiss down her neck. She lets out a breathy moan and maybe she should be embarrassed about how needy she’s sounding but Kya bites down a little harder in response and Lin can hear a faint hum of approval. Her hands reach for Kya’s waist again, but she still can’t find that Spirits damned tie! She growls frustratedly and feels Kya’s eyelashes flutter against her neck as the waterbender shivers.

“Okay, for future reference,” Kya pulls away, easily reaching for the tie and tugging the dress open. “Growling,  _ very _ hot.”

Lin blushes, but she forgets her embarrassment as Kya’s dress drops to the floor and her mouth drops open.

“Kya,” she breathes, and the older woman bites her lip, shyly smiling as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “C’mere,” she says, not trusting her legs even a little. Kya gives her a beautiful smile as she closes the distance between them again, and Lin draws her into a deep kiss, revelling in the new expanses of skin under her fingertips. Kya’s hands squeeze into the space between them, and she deftly unbuttons Lin’s shirt, pushing it from her shoulders. Lin dips her head to scrape her teeth gently against Kya’s collarbone, and Kya tips her head back, letting loose a short, sharp gasp. Her hands reach down to grab at her own wrappings, but Lin reaches out to stop her.

“Ah, ah,” Lin says, her voice coming out dark and husky. Kya blinks down at her, eyes wide, as she slowly drops her hands. Lin gives a satisfied hum and drops her hands to the knot at the front of Kya’s binding, trying to hide the shaking of her hands. The cloth falls open and Lin swallows hard at the sight of Kya’s chest.  _ Wow _ .

“I’m flattered,” Kya almost purrs, and Lin claps a hand over her mouth. Oh  _ fuck _ , she said that out loud. Kya giggles, pulling Lin’s hand down.

“I mean it,” she says earnestly, ducking to meet Lin’s gaze. “You’re too sweet, Lin.”

Hearing her name in Kya’s breathy tone sends a jolt right to her core. Lin nods, biting her lip, and hesitates. She’s officially passed the point where she knows what she’s doing and now she’s suddenly very, very nervous.

“Lin,” Kya reaches out to tip Lin’s chin, lifting her head to meet her gaze. “Have you ever… had sex with a woman before?”

Lin blushes, wants to look away. “No,” she admits. “Not with… not with anyone.”

She’s ready to feel judged, but Kya just gives her a reassuring smile. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“No!” Lin protests quickly. “I, uh, I want to do this. With you.”

She feels her ears burn as she tries to look away self-consciously, but Kya keeps a firm grip on her chin. A wide, awed smile slowly spreads across Kya’s face.

“What… uh, what do I do?”

“What do you want to do?” Kya returns evenly. Her gaze is patient, and Lin feels herself slowly relaxing. She thinks for a moment, her gaze slipping down to Kya’s chest and back.

“I want to make you feel good.”

Kya’s eyes flash, and Lin notices the bob of her throat as she swallows. The waterbender reaches for Lin’s hand, and places it on her breast. The skin is soft under Lin’s touch, her nipple pebbling as Lin’s palm brushes against it. Kya lets out a short, shaky breath, and her eyelids flutter slightly. Emboldened, Lin brushes her thumb across the top of Kya’s nipple, watching for her reaction. Another shuddered breath. She takes the nipple between her finger and thumb and rolls it slowly. Kya nods encouragingly, her eyes slipping closed, and Lin takes the opportunity to lean up and nip at her collarbone again, smiling against her skin as she gasps. She continues to play with Kya’s nipple as she kisses a trail down to Kya’s other breast, feeling the waterbender’s chest rising more sharply and more frequently. There’s a fuzziness in her head and a thrumming in her veins, like the first time she ever got drunk, but far more heady. The throbbing between her legs is stronger than she’s ever felt, almost distracting. She nips at the side of Kya’s breast, chuckling as she hears a breathy ‘oh!’, and Lin smiles before pressing a kiss to her nipple. Kya’s breath catches and Lin looks up to see her eyelids flutter.

“That okay?” Lin asks, her mouth a hair’s breadth from Kya’s nipple. Kya lets out a soft whine, followed by a very emphatic ‘ _ yes’ _ . Lin smiles, and flicks her tongue out gently against the tip of her peaked nipple. Kya lets out a frustrated breath, her hand coming to tangle in Lin’s hair. She feels Kya’s arm trembling, sees the concentration on her face, before Kya’s arm falls back to her side.

“Sorry,” she breathes out, taking a few calming breaths. “Feels good.”

“It’s okay,” she replies, her voice low and teasing. “I can take a hint.” She waits for Kya to meet her eyes before wrapping her lips around the bud, her teeth scraping gently against the skin. Kya moans, and Lin wishes she could bottle the sound. She delights in noticing how swipes of her tongue make Kya shiver, and pressure from her teeth draws whines from her throat.

After a few moments, Kya’s hand is in Lin’s hair, tugging with the lightest pressure, and Lin releases her nipple with a pop. She’s pleased to see Kya’s eyes dark and wanting as the waterbender draws her into an almost bruising kiss.

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Kya murmurs against Lin’s lips. “You are wearing entirely too many clothes.”

She quickly tugs open Lin’s chest binding, her hands cupping her breasts firmly and brushing a thumb over each nipple. Lin hums, her eyes slipping shut briefly as Kya toys with her for a moment. She tugs Lin’s pants down her legs, and murmurs, “Bed?”

Lin blinks, her heart hammering, before nodding and letting Kya walk her backwards until she’s sat on the edge of the bed. Kya kneels in front of her and hooks her thumbs under the waistband of her underwear. Lin swallows heavily.

“This okay?” Kya asks, looking up at Lin. She nods unevenly, and Kya pulls the material down from her hips. They shimmy them out from under her, and then she’s bared before Kya. Suddenly she feels nervous, almost has the need to cover up as Kya’s gaze raises then lowers, taking her in.

“Lin,” Kya murmurs, an almost reverent tone to her voice. “You’re beautiful.”

Lin scoffs, feeling her entire body heat in embarrassment. “Have you seen yourself?”

Kya smirks up at her. “This isn’t a competition, sweetheart. Is this still okay?”

Lin swallows, smiling a little shakily. “Yeah,” she nods. Kya nods as well, reaching to her wrist and sliding off the bracelet from her arm, setting it atop the nightstand. It’s the glass bracelet Lin gave her before she left.

“You kept it,” Lin murmurs, feeling a little shocked. Kya smiles, her hands tying her hair back.

“Of course,” she says, a touch of humour in her tone. “You made it for me.”

She finishes tying her hair back, and gently presses on the inside of Lin’s knees. Lin lets her legs fall open, and watches as Kya’s gaze darkens.

“Oh, darling,” she murmurs. Lin swallows heavily. “Look at how ready you are for me.”

Lin’s heart stops. There’s something about the way Kya’s speaking and the words she’s saying that has her trembling with anticipation as Kya’s dark and hungry gaze pins her. Lin has to bite her lip and swallow the moan rising in her throat.

And then Kya’s mouth is pressing a kiss to the inside of Lin’s thigh. She gasps, her hands coming to fist in the blankets beneath her. Her heart is pounding now, and she’s not sure she’s going to make it through this. It would be such a wonderful way to go. Kya’s mouth inches slowly closer to the apex of Lin’s thighs, and her breath gets shallower and shallower. She lets out a breathy whimper as Kya’s tongue suddenly dips out to taste the wetness that’s gathered where her leg meets her torso. And oh  _ Raava _ , if Kya doesn’t touch her soon she’s going to lose her Spirits’ damned mind. Her entire body shakes in anticipation as Kya’s breath hits her skin. The throbbing between her legs is almost painful.

“Kya,” she breathes, her voice higher than she was expecting. “P-please.”

Kya pulls away, and Lin can’t find it in herself to be embarrassed by the desperate, needy noise that leaves her mouth. Her blue eyes are dark, glittering as they meet hers. Lin gives a shaky nod, and the corner of Kya’s mouth flicks up before her head is sinking between Lin’s legs once more, and she licks lightly up her centre, stopping just below where she needs it most. Lin’s hands are fisted so tightly in the sheets that they might rip, but she’s unaware of it as sparks cloud her vision. She’s not aware of anything but the heat of Kya’s mouth against her, her tongue circling her clit with just the right amount of pressure. It doesn’t take long until Lin’s thighs clamp around Kya’s head and her vision whites out, a ringing in her ears as she slumps back against the sheets.

She blinks her heavy eyes open to find that Kya’s come to lay next to her, her fingers stroking through Lin’s hair softly. Her mouth is glistening slightly, and Lin doesn’t think as she reaches up to pull Kya into a kiss. 

“That was…” Lin can’t find the word she’s looking for as Kya pulls back, but it seems to be enough to make Kya smile smugly anyway.

“I’m glad,” the waterbender nods, letting Lin pull her into her side. Kya rests her head against Lin’s chest, humming contentedly.

“Give me a minute,” Lin tells her, still trying to catch her breath. She feels Kya’s smile against her skin and it considerably sets the process back.

“It’s okay-“ Kya starts.

“I want to,” Lin insists, her arm stroking down Kya’s back. “Just a moment.”

Kya smiles again. “Take your time. We’ve got all night.”

* * *

Lin  _ aches _ .

It’s the first thing she notices as she comes to. The second thing she notices is a very naked Kya curled into her back, an arm and a leg slung over her, puffs of air hitting the back of her neck.

She can’t help the smile that tugs at her lips as last night comes flooding back to her. For a moment, her eyes slip closed and she is so very tempted to stay here, skip work, and revel in the feeling of being in Kya’s arms.

She wouldn’t be Lin Beifong if she did.

She counts to three and gently extricates herself from Kya’s grip, careful not to jostle her friend (her lover? Spirits, the thought makes her stomach somersault). She reaches for her robe and quietly pads out of her room. Lin ducks her head into Su’s room as she passes, feeling something in her mind settle as she sees her younger sister sprawled out face down on her bed, her feet hanging over the edge, and snoring loudly. She heads down into the kitchen, through the living room, and pauses as she sees her mother looking at her with a smirk.

“Good night?” her mom asks smugly. Lin’s body feels like it’s been set on fire, and not in a good way. She clears her throat, and pads past Toph. There’s an empty bowl in front of her mother, and Lin is satisfied that her mother has eaten the food she left for her.

“I’m heading to bed, say good morning to Kya,” her mother says, and then she’s gone. Lin sighs, and sets the kettle to boil. She prepares the teapot, and flashes of the night play in her mind. She shivers happily, and she can’t control the smile on her face.

She’s humming lightly to herself as she climbs the stairs again, setting the teacups down on the nightstand before she presses a gentle hand to Kya’s shoulder, and kisses the top of her hair gently.

“Kya,” she murmurs softly. The older woman stirs, rolling over to blink up at Lin blearily. She grins shyly up at Lin as she comes to.

“Hey,” her voice comes out a little croaky, and she clears her throat. Lin leans down to kiss her, and Kya’s hands come up to thread through Lin’s hair, but she finds herself quickly stopped by tangles, and they break apart, chuckling breathlessly.

“Sorry,” Lin apologises bashfully, but Kya just shakes her head.

“No it’s fine. I’ve always kinda liked seeing your hair like this.”

Lin chuckles embarrassedly, and shakes her head. “It’s a mess,” she murmurs self-consciously. She clears her throat. “Anyway, uh, I made tea,” she reaches behind herself and picks up a cup, handing it to Kya. “I have to get ready for work, soon, but you’re welcome to-“

“Wait, shit, what time is it?” Kya sits up suddenly. She hisses as tea sloshes over the side of the cup and onto the sheets, as Lin relays the time to her.

“Shit,” she says, placing the cup on the side. “Fuck. I- I need to go. The train-“

Lin blinks, and it all comes crashing down.

“You’re leaving,” she remembers, standing abruptly. Stupid, stupid,  _ stupid _ . She can’t believe she let herself get so carried away that for a second she thought- well, never mind what she thought.

Kya scrambles up, reaching for Lin’s arm.

“ _ Lin _ ,” she implores. “I didn’t mean- this isn’t- fuck. Lin, I like you.”

Lin stills.

“And I don’t want you to think that this was some kind of… one night thing. Or that I came here with the… intention of sleeping with you. I just wanted to talk, to clear the air before I left again,” Kya’s babbling now, and Lin turns to face her, a frown on her face. “I just, it’s-“

“Poor timing,” Lin sighs bitterly, and Kya nods.

“Yeah.”

She reaches out to take Lin’s hands in hers. “I could stay?” she suggests, pulling Lin in closer. It sounds weak to both of them.

Lin shakes her head, drawing one of Kya’s hands to her mouth and pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. Her heart feels like it’s been cleaved down the middle. “You wouldn’t be happy.”

“You make me happy,” she insists. She’s dreamed of hearing Kya say those words, and the knife in her gut twists deeper. Her eyes slip closed and she centres herself. Now is not the time for her feelings.

“You’ll get over it,” Lin shrugs, bitterness coating her tongue. Kya’s eyebrows knit together and she frowns at Lin in reproach. She’s always been a romantic at heart.

“Kya, you’ve got so much of the world to see. If you’ve seen all there is, and you still feel this way… maybe we can reconsider,” it’s taking everything in Lin’s power to keep her voice even as she speaks. Tears are beginning to form in Kya’s eyes as she closes them, taking a deep breath.

“Right. You’re right.”

Kya makes her way around the room, quickly redressing herself. Lin tries not to watch but Kya catches her once or twice, and flashes Lin a small smirk. Her heart isn’t in it.

And suddenly, a fully dressed Kya is in front of her, sliding the glass bracelet over her wrist. Neither one of them wants to be the first to breach the silence.

Kya’s hand comes up to cradle Lin’s cheek, her jaw set and her eyes moist. “Promise you’ll write.”

Lin finds herself nodding, if only so she can banish the fear on Kya’s face. Her hand settles on top of Kya’s. “I promise,” she says, her voice finally beginning to shake.

Lin steps away and rounds the bed, reaching into the nightstand. When she straightens, she sees a bemused-looking Kya following her movements.

“Give me your hand?” Lin asks. Kya offers up her right hand, and Lin shakes her head. “The, uh, the other one.”

Lin grabs onto Kya’s wrist and hooks another charm into the bracelet, bending the fastening closed. “Going away gift,” she says roughly. Kya lets out a shocked laugh.

“When did you even-“

“Oh, I’ve had it for a while,” Lin rubs the back of her head sheepishly, as Kya holds her wrist up to the light. Her face softens as she sees a transparent, anatomically correct heart dangling from the bracelet. The twin to the one at the bottom of the Mo Ce Sea. The one she couldn’t bring herself to throw away. It’s been sat at the back of her drawer, collecting dust for three years.

“ _ Lin, _ ” she murmurs softly, her gaze falling back to the younger woman’s. “I… how long-“

“It doesn’t matter,” Lin says quickly, heat flaring in her cheeks. “I think right now, it might only make things harder.”

Kya nods, a sad smile on her face. She kisses Lin, a gentle, bittersweet press of their lips, and then she’s gone.

Lin clenches her jaw and closes her eyes, holding back the tears by sheer force of will.

She needs to get ready, or else she’ll be late to work.

* * *

Lin’s limbs are heavy, and her heart heavier still as she walks into the house this evening. She slings her coat on the hook and leaves her bag on the floor in a slump, not bothering to take off her shoes, merely rolling away the soles so she doesn’t bring the outside muck into the house.

She’s exhausted, and thoroughly numbed, which is the only way she thinks she’s going to get through this.

There’s a light on in the living room, and Lin frowns. It’s late, and her mom starts early in the morning. Is Su still up? She grumbles to herself about her idiot sister and her determination to ruin her sleep schedule, and storms into the room, ready to lecture the girl, when she sees her mother, not Su, sat on the living room sofa.

On the coffee table sits a steaming bowl of soup, which smells extraordinarily like the soup her mother used to make when she was sick. It is the only thing Toph has ever been able to cook, and it always brought comfort to Lin when she needed it most.

“Made dinner,” Toph grunts needlessly, and Lin furiously swipes at the traitorous tear that rolls down her cheek.

“Thanks,” Lin says, slumping down beside her mother. It’s only then that she notices the two glasses full of liquor, and the bottle of baijiu that sits beside them. Slowly, Lin picks up the bowl and begins to eat.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

“Good.”

They sit in silence for a while, Toph sipping at her drink and Lin savouring her soup.

“I submitted a request for leave. Captain Tao approved it, so I left it on your desk.”

“I’ll approve it in the morning,” her mother nods. “You off anywhere nice?”

Lin sighs, reaching for her glass and taking a long drink. “Fire Nation,” she grunts. “Gonna visit Uncle Zuko. I’ll close out the Phoenix District case first.”

“Oh, so my daughter gets a field trip with Zuko before I do?” grumbles Toph. Lin blinks bemusedly at her mother, but she doesn’t elucidate, and they continue the night in silence.

After several drinks, Lin thinks she remembers laying her head down on the seat next to her mother, and tucking her legs up onto the sofa, but she doesn’t recall exactly when her eyes slide shut.

She wakes the next morning, tucked into her own bed. Her head feels tight, and not from a hangover. She reaches up and feels her hair pulled tight into a braid. The same braid her mother used to pull her hair into when she was a child. As she lifts her arm to her head, she hears a soft ‘thump’ as something hits the bed. She looks down to see her stuffed badgermole, who has seen better days, sitting in her lap. And on the nightstand sits a glass of water and some willow bark. Lin wraps her arms tightly around the badgermole and refuses to cry.

Her stupid eyes don’t listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (don't hate me too much)


	4. I Retrace My Tracks To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a ridiculous thought. She can’t be in love with Lin.
> 
> Except, she finds, she is.
> 
> Title taken from Keep Coming Back, opb. the Nashville Cast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING for canonical character death.
> 
> This is the chapter I've been referring to as 'the interlude' in my mind. It's a chapter that bridges the time gap between chapters 3 and 5, told from Kya's point of view.
> 
> I struggled so hard with this but I think I’m happy with how it turned out.
> 
> Thanks to @Linguini for being a wonderful beta <3

Kya’s had crushes before. She’s had crushes where the feelings weren’t requited and that was fine. She got over them. She’ll get over this.

Except, she finds, she can’t.

Leaving Lin is hard. She’s unable to explain her melancholy mood to her mother as she shoulders her bag, fidgeting with the new charm adorning her bracelet.

“Oh, that’s new,” her mother says, leaning in to peer at the charm. Realising there’s not really anywhere to hide the almost literal heart on her sleeve from her mother, Kya feels her cheeks warm, looking away as her mother raises an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah. I, uh, went to see Lin last night and she gave it to me.”

Kya can feel her mother’s suspicious gaze bore into the side of her head.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you sneaking back here before the first ferry this morning. Is there something going on with you and Lin?”

Kya sighs, finally looking at her mother again. “I… no. There could’ve been, but… it just won’t work out right now.”

The disappointment, the bitter sting of tears welling as she tilts her head to the ceiling… it doesn’t make  _ sense _ . Because sure, Kya’s capable of falling hard and fast but these feelings resonate from a place deeper than that. And she doesn’t understand, because she fell for Lin once she got back, and sure, they’re friends, but this feels strangely similar to the crush on Jiaying she nursed for half of school.

The thoughts swirl around her head as she bids goodbye to her family and boards the train bound for the north. All she can think about is the way Lin’s skin felt under her fingers, the way she tasted, the look on her face as Kya woke that morning that made Kya’s heart flutter in a way it hasn’t done for nearly five years; since Sayuri. She can’t say she’s ever felt like leaving was the wrong decision before now, especially not leaving Republic City.

Okay, so maybe she’s fallen hard for Lin. There’s nothing wrong with that. She’ll get over it. Make some new friends to travel through the Earth Kingdom with, maybe even find someone who wants the same things she does. Crushes come and go, and she’s not got time to wait for them to work themselves out; she’s got a whole world to see. She’ll just keep going, keep travelling, keep discovering, and by the time she comes up for air, Lin and this thing between them will be a fond memory.

Except, she finds, it doesn’t work out that way.

* * *

The first time she ends up on Lin’s doorstep, she’s shifting from foot to foot, trying to find the courage to knock. She’s reasoning with herself that it’s fairly early in the evening, and there’s no way Lin would be finished with work yet, so maybe she should go and come back?

Her mother had written to tell her of what had transpired between Lin and Su, and then between Lin and Toph. That Lin was avoiding everyone now, had moved out of her family home and was in some tiny apartment not too far from the station. Kya had written her, hadn’t wanted to push her- to push  _ Lin’s  _ boundaries, and she remembers every word of the letter.

_ Dear Lin, _

_ I heard about what happened, and I am so so sorry. You don’t deserve this, any of it. Mom, Dad and Tenzin are worried, they say they haven’t heard from you in weeks. Please reach out to them, Lin. They’re here for you. We all are. If you need me, just let me know, and I’ll be there in a heartbeat. Please know they’re not your only family. _

_ I also heard you were promoted to Lieutenant! Congratulations, I’m so proud of you, but not surprised in the slightest. You’ve made it so far in such a short amount of time, and I know you’re going to make it right to the top. I hope that you still have the same love for it that you’ve always held. _

_ I’m doing well, as ever. Just recently, I visited Aunt Suki and Aunt Ty Lee with the latest Kyoshi Warriors. I even got to ride the elephant koi - Aunt Suki got a picture, which I’ve enclosed. I miss you so dearly; more than words can express. I’ll be in the city soon. I’d like to see you, but I understand if you don’t want to see me. _

_ There is one more thing I wish to say, and forgive me if this is too forward. Though some years have passed, my feelings for you remain unchanged. I know that can’t possibly make up for what you’ve lost, but please know you are not alone. My heart is yours, should you want it. _

_ All my love, _

_ Kya _

She told herself she’d wait until Lin responds. Because she must be feeling so many things right now and Kya absolutely doesn’t want to overwhelm her with how much she longs to care for her, how much she longs to find Aunt Toph and Su and yell until her throat bleeds. But Lin is skittish, defensive. They’ve not seen each other in three years, but Kya can feel the growing distance between them. Not once had Lin written, like she’d promised. (And okay, Kya has only sent the one letter, and it took her three years and a traumatic incident. But still.) There could be many reasons for that, and Kya refuses to allow herself to speculate, not wanting to be dragged down into the hopeless quandary of lo- crushing on Lin Beifong.

Because that’s all it is. A deep, longing crush on a dear friend.

She hems and haws in front of Lin’s door for twenty minutes.  _ If Lin wanted to see you,  _ the treacherous voice in the back of her head starts,  _ then she’d have written.  _ This is stupid. She’s a stupid idiot, hung up on a hopeless crush, and she deserves so much better than this. She wants to be there for Lin,  _ as a friend,  _ but Lin’s clearly not ready for friends right now. That or she just doesn’t want anything to do with Kya anymore. Which is fine, either way, really. 

Sighing with a newfound sense of resolve, and an ache in her chest, Kya turns and heads out of the building to her favourite bar in the city. It’s the place she’s going to put this whole thing behind her, she thinks as she stumbles out of the bar some hours later with a woman she’s never seen before.

This is the first and last time she’s going to put her heart out there for Lin Beifong.

(Except, she finds, it isn’t.)

* * *

The second time is when she’s ready to admit that this isn’t some dumb crush and she might just be in love with Lin. The realisation couldn’t come at a worse time. 

She toys with the turtleduck charm on her bracelet as she once again shifts from foot to foot in front of the door to Lin’s apartment.

This charm had found her perhaps only a week or two after she’d left Republic City again. It came in an envelope with only her name on the front. There was no note with it, but it didn’t need one. Kya’s chest had burned bright with hope when she saw it. Perhaps Lin didn’t need her in that moment, she was coping in her own way, but that didn’t mean Lin had shut her out entirely. Letters from her family assured her that Lin had tentatively started reaching out to them again, rejoining them for dinners. They didn’t speak about the camelephant in the room, but Kya had been nonetheless relieved that Lin was no longer isolating herself.

It’s late. Late enough that, plausibly, that Captain Beifong might be home, barring any exceptional events that might keep her at work. But again, Kya loses her gall after about twenty minutes of nearly-knocking and hurries out of the building, intending to catch the trolley downtown where she can drink until the bitter, cowardly taste in her mouth is masked by the taste of alcohol.

“Hey handsome.”

There’s a low purr from across the street that makes Kya look up. A gorgeous woman stands under the lamplight, her amber eyes glinting at someone approaching. It takes a second for Kya to realise that this is Lin, looking not too different from the last time Kya saw her (except her hair is tamed and her mouth turned down and two thick scars adorn her face). Her eyebrows raise in surprise and her mouth twists into a small smile and Kya’s heart skips a beat at the sight.

“What are you doing here?” she asks the woman stood under the light.

“Well,” the dark-haired mystery woman drawls. “If you’d give me a key I wouldn’t have to wait out here.”

Lin tuts, rolling her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I wanted to see you,” the woman shrugs, her hand coming to settle on Lin’s waist and drawing her closer. Worry crosses Lin’s features and her eyes flit around them sharply. Kya takes a step back into the darkness reflexively.

“Oh,” Lin says dumbly, her shoulders relaxing and her face flushed. “I- uh, good. That’s- nice.”

The woman laughs, rising onto her tiptoes to press her lips to Lin’s. The metalbender softens into the embrace, and Kya’s teeth sink into her bottom lip as her heart sinks into her stomach.

She has to go. Kya backs away from the scene as quickly as she can manage, turning on her heel and heading for the trolley. She holds back the sob in her throat until the docks are in sight, but her hand comes up to cup her mouth and she’s determined not to break before she’s home, and safe. She doesn’t bother to wait for the ferry, bending her way across the Bay as quickly as she can manage. Her mother sits on the dock, her legs swinging over the edge, and the closer Kya gets, the easier it is to see the frown on her face. She opens her arms as Kya shoots out of the water and falls into her mother’s embrace, burying her face into her mother’s neck and letting the tears loose.

She’s not sure how long it takes to calm, but eventually she’s looking up at her mother, who’s brushing the tears away from her face and radiating sympathy and concern.

“Why can’t I let her go?” she chokes out, and her voice is thick and heavy and desperate and she  _ hates  _ it. Hates that a girl can make her this way. Hates that this girl was once her best friend. Hates that these  _ stupid _ feelings exist and hates that she doesn’t feel them too. Hates that Lin’s replaced her and hates that she doesn’t blame her for it, not one bit.

In response, Katara runs a hand through Kya’s hair.

* * *

The next morning, she sits with her father and watches the sunrise, far too restless to even think about meditating.

“Her name is Lian,” he says softly. The blade of grass between Kya’s fingers splits from the ground.

“What?”

Lin having a girlfriend is one thing. Her parents  _ knowing _ about said girlfriend is another entirely.

“She’s a wonderful woman,” Aang continues. “Good for Lin. They’ve been dating almost a year now.”

She wants to yell at him to stop. She doesn’t want to know. And yet some small part of her brain wants him to carry on. Wants to know what this Lian has to offer that she doesn’t. 

“You’d like her.”

She doesn’t know she’s tensed until her father’s hand is atop hers, returning the water to the darkened patch of grass just left of her knee. His fingers brush the bracelet adorning her wrist and suddenly Kya’s arm burns with the need to remove it. Her fingers scrabble at the band and she yanks it off her arm, not giving it the care she usually would. She holds the heart between her forefinger and thumb and is almost overcome with the desire to crush it between them, as surely as Lin has crushed her own.

She looks out across the sea, and wonders how long it would take for it to fall to the bottom.

But she can feel the bile rising in her throat at merely the  _ thought _ of damaging or getting rid of one of her most cherished possessions. She’s too emotional about the entire situation to make decisions like that right now. Closing her fist around the bracelet, she stuffs it in her pocket and looks back out across the Bay.

“I’m glad she’s happy,” she says, and it’s  _ true _ , but that’s not evident in her tone.

“She misses you,” is all Aang says in return. She turns to look at her father, who is gazing out onto the water, and ignores the way her heart twists in her chest.

“She does?”

It comes out surprised, sceptical even. It’s hard to believe. Lin’s not tried to keep up communication with her for several years now, and at this point, Kya’s too tired and hurt to try.

“I know this isn’t what you want to hear, buttercup, but it gets better,” her father says, and Kya scoffs.

“Like you’d know,” she mutters before she can stop herself. Aang nods, a small smile on his face as he accepts her acerbic remark.

“I don’t have personal experience,” he agrees. “But several before me have. I can empathise. And I know you know that all things are easier to bear with time. This won’t last forever.”

“But what if it does?” she turns to face her father, desperation glittering in her eyes.

“Then it becomes familiar,” her father tells her simply. “It becomes background noise and one day you won’t feel it as keenly as you did before.”

Aang reaches out and pulls Kya into his lap, as easily as if she were a child, and wraps her in his tight embrace. It makes her feel young again, safe. Like nothing in the world can hurt her as long as he holds on.

They sit quietly and watch the sun begin to stretch out over the land. In a moment of stillness, as the tide pulls back from the shore and the birds fall silent, before the soft sighing sound of her father’s exhalation, Kya accepts defeat.

She’s in love with Lin.

It’s nothing like a love she’s experienced before. It’s miserable and heavy and bitter; full of regret. She doesn’t let herself dwell on the thought, letting it drift away on the breeze that skims the tops of the grass verge they sit on.

Her dad is right. Surely this won’t last forever.

Except, she finds, it does.

* * *

Her problem, she realises, is going back to Republic City. Every time she does, she remembers all the reasons she’s in love with Lin and she’s dragged deeper into the misery that is unrequited love.

So she stops going back.

She dates. She falls in and out of love, but nothing ever quite reaches the highs she felt the night she spent with Lin. They never reach the lows, either, and for that, she’s grateful. 

And it works just fine. She’s happy. She’s seeing the world, just like she wanted. The experiences she's had, the friends she's made, Kya wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Except perhaps, a little more time with her father.

She’s spent so long avoiding Lin, avoiding Republic City, and thinking that everything would be waiting for her when she was ready to come back.

She’s never seen her father so frail. It’s terrifying. There isn’t long left. She can feel it in the air. Tenzin says Lin’s been around every day after her shift ends, making tea and hovering. Strangely, Kya’s not seen her. She’s equal parts relieved and saddened by the fact.

It’s late in the night when Bumi pulls her and Tenzin aside. Their mother is long since asleep and he drags them down to the beach. Kya scowls, because winter is approaching in Republic City and she’s not in the habit of going out in a thin gown and bare legs. She gives Tenzin a jab in the ribs and he huffs, but gives a little wave and the air around her warms.

“Thank you Tenny,” she teases, grabbing his arm and drawing it over her shoulder. He grumbles, but tucks Kya under his cloak.

“What is it exactly that we’re doing on the beach at this forsaken hour?” he irritably asks. Bumi waves his hand, saying nothing until they’re all say around the firepit they used to ‘sneak’ out to when they were teenagers.

It’s been a while since she sat here last, and it has Kya caught up in a wave of nostalgia. The last time was probably the disastrous occasion she’d tried to kiss Lin. She looks out across the Bay, and wonders what the Captain might be doing at this moment. Kya rolls her eyes at herself. Sleeping, she suspects, like they should be.

“Mom can’t stay here,” Bumi says suddenly. Kya’s brow furrows, and she turns to look at him.

“What?”

“After… well, you know. After.” He clears his throat uncomfortably. “She can’t stay here. She’s gonna see dad around every corner, and that’s not gonna help her heal. It’s going to be hard enough as it is without all the memories reminding her of everything she’s lost. She hardly remembers a life without him. She’s going to need a clean slate.”

There’s silence for a moment, punctuated by the crashing waves and the crackling fire.

“What- what exactly are you saying?” Tenzin asks slowly. Bumi looks up at Kya with a guilty expression, and she feels her heart plummet.

“She needs to go home.”

“No,” Kya shakes her head. “No.”

“Did I miss something?” Tenzin looks between his two older siblings.

“Kya-“

She lets out a disbelieving laugh, brushing back a stray strand of hair.

“Are you kidding? Are you  _ kidding me? _ ” She stands, she has to move, she can’t stay here.

Because he’s right. It’s going to be her. Because Bumi has his stupid  _ job _ and Tenzin has his stupid  _ nation _ and Kya’s got nothing, absolutely nothing. All these years, and she doesn’t have a single damned thing to show for it.

“Kya-“ Bumi starts again, but she can’t hear this right now. Agni, she’s not sure she can hear this ever.

“I- I have to go,” Kya says, beginning to walk away without a destination in mind.

“Kya. Kya!” Tenzin calls, confused. “Where are you going?”

She doesn’t break stride as she sinks into the Bay. “Out.”

* * *

She had no idea where she was heading, but somehow she’s not surprised when she ends up at Lin’s front door. Because of  _ course _ .

Kya laughs at herself, angrily swiping at the tears under her eyes. She’s back in Republic City and of  _ course _ , she’s right back to pining for Lin.

As if Lin would want her now. She’s 32, she has no direction in her life. Not like Lin, who’s doing exactly what she always said she would, and well. Not like Tenzin, whose path was always right in front of him. Not like Bumi, who took a raw deal and made the best of it. And she’s never had a problem with that before now! She’s never needed a direction, always happy to go where the wind took her. She loves her life, loves her travels, loves learning new things and helping out where she can, making the world a better place in her own little way. She just wasn’t ready to settle down. She’s  _ never _ been ready, and now her hand is being forced and this is  _ not  _ how it was supposed to go! Avatars are supposed to live long lives, longer than the rest of the mere mortals who inhabit the planet.

And  _ Spirits _ , what she wouldn’t give to have Lin’s arms around her right now. She’s so tired of this. So tired of pushing it to the side for the sake of living their separate lives. She misses Lin. She misses her old best friend, and she misses everything that could’ve been between them.

Right now. It’s going to be right now. She’s going to knock on the door and tell Lin how she feels and face the consequences.

In 3, 2, 1-

“Figures I’d find you here.”

Her head snaps up and she sees Izumi standing a little ways down the hall.

“When’d you get here?” Kya asks. Izumi shrugs, a small smirk on her face, which is framed by her hair. It’s down, her usual preferred method of incognito travel. Clearly, she’s slipped her bodyguards, too, but Kya has firsthand experience of how easy that can be.

“About an hour ago. Tenzin was freaking out because you’d run away and I don’t think I’ve actually seen Bumi look stressed before, so I volunteered to help out with the search party. You freaked ‘em out.”

Kya stuffs her hands in her pockets and looks away. She’s a grown ass woman, she can come and go as she damn well pleases.

“Again, Kya?”

She shrugs, throwing up her hands in defeat.

“I don’t know, Zumi,” she sniffles. “I don’t know what I’m doing, and dad’s  _ dying _ and mom’s going back to the South Pole and apparently I am too and I haven’t seen her in ten years and I’m still as in love with her as I was then and-“

She suddenly finds her head pushed into Izumi’s shoulder. She’s stooped a little awkwardly, but her best friend’s mother henning is pretty nice right about now.

She folds into Izumi’s arms and looses a heavy sigh.

“Listen, sweetie…” Izumi starts, shifting Kya so she can hold her by the shoulders. She reaches out a hand to brush the tears from Kya’s cheeks, and Kya can’t help but half-heartedly roll her eyes at the gesture.

“Stop mothering me, Zu,” she mutters, and Izumi smiles.

“You know I’m all for you seeing her and the two of you finally sorting out your shit,” Kya rolls her eyes again, smiling wryly. “But I don’t think now is the time. You’re a mess.”

“Gee, thanks,” Kya scoffs, but of course, like always, she’s right.

She lets Izumi lead her away and back to the docks, where a small boat is moored.

“Why can’t this ever be easy, Zu?” she asks as the older woman unmoors the boat. She lights a flame in the palm of her hand as Kya steers the boat.

“What do you mean?”

“Life.”

Izumi sighs, looking out onto the water as they speed across.

“You’re telling me,” she mutters, and that’s probably fair, leader of a nation and all.

“I don’t wanna go.”

“I know, turtleduck,” Izumi murmurs and Kya snorts, because she is her father’s child through and through.

“But I have to,” she sighs, running a hand through her hair.

“Maybe you’ll enjoy it?” Izumi offers, but it sounds weak. They both know this is the future Kya has always dreaded, come to claim her before she’s ready.

She sighs, casting her eyes upon the dark waters as she navigates them back to the Island. Everything is about to change.

As it so often does in silent moments, Kya’s mind drifts back to the night she awoke in Lin’s bed. A seemingly much simpler time. 

She’s seen as much as she’s going to see, possibly for a long time. And she’s definitely still very much in love with Lin. 

“You’re thinking too much,” Izumi says. “Just  _ tell _ her, for Agni’s sake.”

“It won’t change anything,” she replies, biting her lip softly.

“Does it matter? Kya, you’ve been pining over her for I don’t even  _ know _ how many years.”

“It  _ won’t change anything _ ,” Kya snaps, turning to look at her friend.

“Or maybe it will.”

Izumi looks a little sheepish, as though she’s said something she ought not to.

“Wh- what does that mean, Zumi?”

“It means you should  _ tell her _ .”

Kya rolls her eyes. “Don’t avoid the question.”

“Maybe it’ll help you get over her. Maybe she wants the same thing and she’s scared you don’t. Either way, you won’t know until you say something, because it’s not like she’d ever make the first move.”

Maybe she’s right. Moving forwards could help her put this to rest once and for all. 

The dock is in sight, now, and Tenzin is pacing along the walkway. She wants to press Izumi further, because she definitely knows more than she’s letting on, but then she realises that her brother can’t look her in the eye as she bends herself and Izumi up onto the dock.

His face is grave and the air is sucked from her lungs as surely as if he’d forcibly stolen it from her. She knows before the words are even out of his mouth. She thought she’d have more time.

Except, it seems, she doesn’t.


	5. I Come Back To Where I'm Running From

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The way Kya’s looking at her has memories flashing through her mind. She’s itching to do something she knows is stupid. And for a moment, she nearly gives in. A couple of hours where they can forget the pain, and she could feel wanted.
> 
> They both deserve better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title taken from Surrender, obp. the Nashville cast.
> 
> Here it is, the final chapter! I just wanna say thank you to everyone, from the bottom of my heart. The amount of support I've had on this fic has completely blown me away. This is the first time I've ever actually sat down and finished a multi-chapter fic, so I was already going to be proud of myself no matter what, but the fact that I've gotten so much love from everyone has been extraordinary.
> 
> I hope this makes up for all the angsting ;)
> 
> Thanks to my wonderful beta, @Linguini <3
> 
> WARNING: this chapter deals fairly heavily with the aftermath of Aang's death.

Of course it would be here. When she’s snuck away from all the spectacle, away from the reporters and politicians, away from the noise and the fanfare, somewhere to just take a breath. And as soon as she thinks she might have a hold on it, it’s stolen from her lungs.

Lin has managed to avoid the woman (who is not the love of her life, or any other kind of flowery idiotic notion, thank you very much) several times over the past decade. Tenzin’s wedding, years’ worth of solstices, Yangchen’s Festivals, and Avatar Day celebrations. But here, now, when she is feeling as low as she possibly can, Kya is walking towards her, her red-rimmed blue eyes fixed on Lin with the determination she inherited from Katara. And yet, she stops short of Lin, looking uncharacteristically shy.

“Hi,” she greets quietly. The sound of her voice is scratchy and it makes Lin’s heart ache - she’s missed the sound so much, but hates that it’s laced with such pain, the pain that they share right now. And Lin wants so badly to be above the longing, but her defences have yet to recover from the loss and she can’t help but offer herself up. After all, it’s only ever for Kya that she’s felt comfortable offering affection. She stands awkwardly, and raises her arms. They straighten once they reach a low waist height, but the gesture is clear enough, and Kya all but falls into her arms. Her embrace, the one Lin’s spent years dreaming of and trying to forget, is grounding in the moment. 

Kya clings to her through the service. Diplomats from all over the world speak, but Lin’s not listening. She keeps her bare foot pressed against the floor, feeling the steady thump of Kya’s heartbeat, pressing kisses to her hairline every so often, and feeling the waterbender’s arms tighten around her every time a shiver rolls through her. They stand with the body all day, as United Republic denizens and citizens from all over the globe come to pay their respects to the Avatar who brought peace to the world. Lin’s expression is stoic, hard, as she casts her eye over her family; Katara stands tall, yet visibly heartbroken - doing her duty as the Avatar’s wife one last time as she accepts condolences from people she’s never met. Tenzin stands beside her, a gentle, grounding hand on his mother’s shoulder. His posture is rigid, his shoulders hunched. He’s feeling the loss perhaps more acutely than either of his siblings - he’s alone, now. The last airbender. Lin knows he’s been feeling the strain for months now, as Aang steadily deteriorated, but one can never really be ready for something like this. Bumi’s made no moves to settle down and it’s unlikely that Kya will bear natural children, so he, and his wife by proxy, are feeling the weight of a nation, a culture, a mass extinction, pressing down on their shoulders. If she had anything left to give, Lin’s heart would break for them.

It’s been dark for several hours by the time the last mourner is through the shuttered doors. The silence is a stark contrast to the low, consistent rumble of murmurs and footsteps that has echoed through the chamber these past long hours. Lin helps to carry the coffin to the waiting Satomobile, ready to be driven to the docks, and escorts her family to the edge of the Bay. She hugs them all tightly as she bids them goodnight, forsaking her comfort to give her family some.

“You won’t come back with us tonight?” Katara implores, her voice hoarse. From use or from pain, Lin is unsure. She shakes her head.

“I, uh… I need some time by myself,” she tries to smile, but it’s more effort than she can bear. Katara simply nods, giving her a final pat on the shoulder, before heading to the ferry. Kya’s the last one to board, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lin as the rest of her family head up the ramp.

“Thank you,” she murmurs softly.

“Of course,” Lin replies, without turning to face her. Kya leans in and presses a lingering kiss to the corner of Lin’s mouth. Her eyes slip shut and her hands clench as the tears she’s been holding back all day begin to well in her eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kya nods, and leaves to board the boat.

* * *

When she arrives home, Lin immediately springs into action. She, tidies, dusts and scrubs her apartment to within an inch of its life. Reorganises her sizeable book collection, sorts through her mail, changes the sheets in the spare room that nobody has ever used, rearranges her spice collection, and catches up on her backlog of laundry. It’s only once she stands in her kitchen, wiping down her counter for the third time, that she finally feels exhaustion hit. Lin reached into her small liquor cabinet and pours herself a measure of kuusu.

She slumps onto the sofa, sipping at her drink and holding Badgermole close. Twin tears roll down her cheeks as the liquor burns down her throat. She lets out a long, sharp breath between her teeth, and it’s hot with pain, sadness. For once in her life, she’s ready to let her emotions overcome her. And then there’s a soft knock on the door.

She’s instantly on guard. There are only a handful of people she’s ever given her address to, but at 1am on the eve of… well, suffice it to say she rules them all out pretty quickly.

There’s a second, more hurried knock at the door. Wiping hastily at her face, she sets her glass down and hides Badgermole under a pillow, using her Seismic Sense to see who here visitor might be. It’s a woman, around Kya’s height and Kya’s build and she can feel the same rhythmic pulse that comforted her all day.

She quickly strides to the door, yanking it open, to see Kya staring down at her, her face lined with sadness.

“I-” Kya opens her mouth but the words don’t come out. Lin just nods her head, and pulls Kya into the apartment, shutting the door behind her and enveloping her in a tight embrace. They cling to each other for several minutes.

They don’t speak; they have no need for words. Lin fetches Kya a spare toothbrush and some pyjamas, and they prepare for bed in silence. Kya immediately attaches herself to Lin once they’re under the covers, shivering at the feel of Lin’s cold feet pressing against hers. Kya tucks her head under the metalbender’s chin, and Lin runs a hand down the back of her hair softly. She hasn’t bothered to braid it tonight (Lin suspects she doesn’t quite have the energy), and it flows wildly beneath her, everywhere. (The last time Lin had Kya in her bed, the hairs lingered for several months, past several changes of sheets, and Lin was both comforted and pained by the fact. She knows it will be the same again.) The younger woman takes the opportunity to slide her fingers into Kya’s hair, kneading gently at her scalp and running her fingers through the long tresses. She feels Kya murmur something against her collarbone, but she can’t quite make out what the older woman is saying. Lin closes her eyes, and sleep comes easily to her for the first time in a week.

* * *

When Lin wakes to a cold, empty bed, all she can feel is numbness. She was expecting it, honestly. She sighs tiredly as she sits up, and frowns as a slip of paper flutters down onto her sheets. She picks it up and turns it over.

_ Thanks. _

Placing the paper on her nightstand, she sits for a moment, staring into nothingness. All she can hear is the faint ring of tinnitus in her ear. All she can feel is a distant sting of her cheek, not as biting as it usually is of a morning. She curls her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palm, but she can’t feel the sharpness cutting into her skin. She feels a little dizzy, a little spacey, as though there’s a minuscule delay between her body moving and her brain catching up. She should get up. Should go and help with the packing. Should be with her family.

The first she knows of the tears running down her face is when she sees the dark spots develop on the sheets between her hands.

She wishes Kya were here, but it’s selfish, because Kya is grieving in her own way, for the man who actually  _ was _ her father. Lin’s taken back to her childhood; the feeling of being a little kid playing at happy families, and coming back to the harsh reality of a quiet house, cold and greasy leftover takeout, and raising her kid sister.

Apparently, this makes her stupid eyes cry harder, if the rapidly growing dark patches are any indication. Sighing, she wipes her eyes roughly with the back of her hands and hauls her ass out of bed. She can’t quite feel her legs, and nearly falls over with the effort, but the feeling of stone beneath her feet cuts through to her in a way only earth can. It grounds her, and she finds herself slowly starting to come back into her body. Lin takes a deep breath and pushes her feelings aside. She needs to prepare herself for travel and get out to the Island. There’s plenty of time for grief later.

* * *

They’re all packed up and ready to make the trip to the Southern Air Temple. Kya’s supposed to be flying out on Oogi, but she waves her brother away when he comes to help her up. She’s looking out into the Bay, biting her lip, an inscrutable expression on her face. Lin finds herself drawn to her, her feet moving before she can really comprehend. She hesitates for a moment, unsure how to comfort Kya in this moment, surrounded by their family, and settles a hesitant hand on top of her shoulder. Kya turns to face her, then, and the pain in her eyes has Lin longing to take her face between her palms and smooth away the tired lines with her thumbs, to bring their foreheads together and lend her some of the little strength she’s got left.

Their eyes meet and Lin hears Kya’s breath catch. For a moment, everything drops away, and there is only Lin, and Kya, and everything between them that ever was, that ever could be.

The impatient snort of Oogi pulls her out of the moment, and Lin offers a grim smile. “Need a lift up?”

Kya’s jaw tightens, and she nods. Lin steps back and bends Kya smoothly up until the earth is level with the bison’s saddle, and Kya steps on, taking Bumi’s hand for support. She can see the top of her mother’s head as the earth falls back down, and she quickly turns to make her way to Druk, where Zuko and his family wait patiently for her. Her uncle rests a hand upon her shoulder as she settles, and she leans into it heavily.

There’s silence in for a moment. Even the elements are still; the tide laps at the shore more gently than ever, the cool winter breeze settles. And then Uncle Sokka’s voice rings throughout the courtyard, strong and commanding and clear.

“Appa, yip yip.”

* * *

The walk up the mountainside is tiresome. Traditionally, airbenders would bend the body up, but they had all seemingly agreed they wouldn’t let Tenzin bear the brunt of this alone. So when Lin steps up to carry the casket, alongside Sokka, Zuko, Bumi and Kya, the airbender almost loses his composure as his eyes fill with tears. The six of them take the weight of the casket upon their shoulders, and the group begins its silent pilgrimage.

Lin’s only been to the Temple once in her life, after the restoration effort. She remembers the way Uncle Aang had shown them all around proudly, telling stories from his childhood. He seemed decades younger, much lighter that day. It’s a beautiful place, but Lin’s not sure she’ll ever be able to be here and not feel like grief has sucker-punched her in the stomach. 

The air acolytes have prepared for their arrival. A bed of stone sits atop the summit, flowers and seeds scattered around the base. Lin watches as her mother steps up to it, and runs her hand across the surface. She huffs unhappily, and Lin can see why. The acolytes tried their best, but she’s sure none of them are carvers, and the rock is lumpy, uneven. It’s not quite the final resting place it should be; not the traditional smooth marble. She steps up beside her mother. They don’t speak; don’t need to. Instead, they move synchronously, and the stone smooths. They can’t make it marble, but they can right it the best they can. Zuko and Sokka unlatch the casket, and Tenzin bends his father’s body onto the slab.

Everyone steps away, then. There’s a moment in which they’re all willing someone else to go first; to be the first to say goodbye. Zuko steps forward, starts murmuring something softly that they can’t hear.

As they all wait for their turn to say goodbye, Lin finds herself behind Kya, the older woman’s hand squeezed tightly in hers. If anybody thinks anything of their closeness, they choose not to mention it. That is, aside from the pitying frown her mother shoots in her direction. Lin bites back a scowl and looks away. When it’s her turn, Kya releases her easily, allowing Lin to step up to the smooth stone where Aang lays.

She lets out a long breath, her eyes closing. Lin hasn’t much to say; she made her promises to him in their last conversation, over a pot of Jasmine Dragon house-blend tea.

_ “How are you, Lin?” Aang asked, and there was a gravity to his voice that she didn’t quite understand. _

_ “I’m fine, Uncle Aang,” she replied, her brow furrowing. “How are you?” _

_ Aang coughed out a laugh that was more wheeze than tone. “No, Rabaroo. I meant how are you emotionally?” _

_ Lin blinked, her brow furrowing. She was fine, as far as she could tell. “Uh… fine. Work has been busy but not too stressful, so that’s always nice,” she said slowly. Aang sighed, and his grey eyes swept across her face. _

_ “Have you dated anyone since Lian?” _

_ Lin’s face blanched. “Wh- no, but wh- I don’t understand what that has to do with anything?” _

_ Aang offered a concerned smile. “When you were with her, it was the happiest I’d seen you in a long time.” _

_ “I don’t need a relationship to be happy-“ her skin prickled at the insinuation. _

_ “Of course not,” Aang cut her off gently. “I wasn’t trying to imply that you do. Merely that you were taking time away from work, finding hobbies, when you were with her. And you seem to have stopped that since.” _

_ Lin looks away, blushing. “It was a distraction,” she muttered. _

_ “I don’t want the job to consume you like it did your mother,” Aang stated. It was gentle, but there’s a firm determination behind it. Lin’s shoulders tightened at the mention of her mother, and she sat a little straighter. _

_ “I’m not going to talk about your relationship with Toph, Lin. I’m just stating a fact. She was one of my closest friends, and I would still count her among that number. But the things she saw changed her. And instead of working through it in a healthy way, she just doubled down and worked harder.” _

_ Aang sighed. “I don’t want you to lose yourself the way she did. Please promise me that you’ll take care of yourself. Promise me you’ll be happy, Lin.” _

_ Lin was silent for a moment. “I’ll try,” was all she could offer, but it seemed to satisfy Aang. _

_ “You should reach out to Kya,” he prodded gently, sounding for all the world like a meddling old man who knew more than he should. Lin scowled, a blush creeping up her cheeks. _

_ “I- uh, we talk occasionally,” Lin stuttered out. Aang cocked an eyebrow at her, and Lin’s blush darkened. _

_ “She told you,” Lin grumbled. He tilted his head a little. _

_ “All she’s said is that you don’t talk as much as you used to, and she misses you.” _

_ Lin let out a rough breath. “It’s… complicated.” _

_ Aang barks out another wheezing laugh. “Your Uncle Sokka said the exact same thing.” _

_ Lin frowned again. “What are you talking about?” _

_ “They thought things were complicated. He needed to be in the South, and in Republic City, and she needed to be with the Kyoshi Warriors. Sound familiar?” _

_ Lin suddenly found her nailbeds particularly intriguing. _

_ “They made it work,” Aang tilted his head, trying to catch her eye. “It took some effort, some communication-” _

_ “Uncle Aang-” _

_ “I won’t say anymore,” he said, sensing her discomfort. “Just… think about it.” _

She looks at Kya out of the corner of her eye. The older woman is distant, like all the rest, her eyes are closed and tears are falling. She turns back to Aang and lays a hand next to his on the slab.

“I’ll do my best.”

It’s the only thing she  _ can _ promise, but it’s enough. It was always enough for him.

* * *

The walk down is as silent as the way up. She can feel the way her chest burns and her eyes sting, the way her head swims and pins and needles prick at her fingers. A monumental effort to swallow the well of emotions that rise with the bile with every step they take. Away. Towards home. Without Aang. On a few occasions, she could’ve sworn the ground rose to meet her missed step and she’s certain it wasn’t her doing. Her hand is clutched tightly in Kya’s, hidden by the folds of her dress, and Lin thinks it might be the only thing that’s keeping her tethered to her body.

As they reach the temple again, a commotion draws Lin from her thoughts. Appa is roaring and pacing restlessly, attempting to bite at his saddle and growling at any acolytes who dare to go near. She feels a pang in her chest; of course the bison is grieving, too - he and Aang were lifelong friends, relics from another time. And now he’s alone, just like Tenzin.

She watches as Katara, who has been silent since perhaps even before they left Air Temple Island, steps up to Appa solemnly. Seeing what she’s about to do, Sokka hurries around the bison’s other side. He calms a little as the siblings remove the saddle and bags from his back. Appa gives a mournful bellow, tilting his head down towards the pair. Katara gives him a smile, laced with pain and unshed tears. She speaks so softly Lin almost misses it.

“Go.”

She and Sokka step back, and her uncle takes Katara in his arms as Appa leaps from the ground, flying up towards the mountain’s peak.

Lin’s jaw is clenched so tight she fears it might break. Kya’s hand clings to hers in a way that makes her fingers tingle and cool at the loss of blood.

Behind them, Zuko clears his throat, and the air acolytes immediately start bustling around to help him redistribute their luggage. Giving Kya’s hand a final squeeze, she pulls away from the older woman and attempts to make herself useful.

* * *

There’s a lot of busy bustling around when they return, but Lin’s not quite ready to head back to her cold and empty apartment just yet. She takes herself out of the way to sit on the beach, curling her toes into the sand and letting the sound of the waves wash over her. She starts to yawn, but it morphs into a groan halfway through as her cheek seizes. Her hand comes up to cradle the scars on her face and she scowls at the water. The tiredness and successive days of cold air blowing past her as they travelled are finally catching up to her. She’s used to the pain, but today it’s the straw that breaks the camelephant’s back and she can’t hold back the tears any longer.

“Do they still give you grief?”

Lin instinctively looks away, hiding her tears from Kya even though she knows the older woman would never see her as weak for it.

“It’s just a little achey,” she gets out, but Kya’s soft ‘tsk’ of admonishment lets her know she’s fooling no one. Hastily, she wipes her face and turns to look at the waterbender, whose eyes don’t leave her cheek as she scrutinises the ends of the scars visible at the edge of Lin’s palm. Hesitantly, Lin lets her arm lower, and Kya meets her gaze with a soft and almost reverent look. Lin swallows, feeling her cheeks heat, and nods, and then Kya’s unscrewing the cap of her water skin and she feels the soothing balm of water against her face. She can’t help the relieved groan she lets out, and scowls at Kya’s impish grin.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Kya replies innocently. “But this will be over sooner if you keep  _ your _ mouth shut.”

Lin growls, and notes with some satisfaction how Kya stills momentarily, her eyes flashing at Lin, before continuing as though nothing had happened.

Once Kya’s done, Lin rotates her jaw and stretches her cheek. It feels better than it has done for several years. 

“Thank you,” she says earnestly. Kya merely nods, reaching out a tentative hand, and Lin doesn’t stop her as the waterbender cradles her face in her hand. Nobody’s ever touched the scars since they healed, and it’s a strange feeling. Of course, Kya’s touch is impossibly gentle, but she notes absently that the sense is dulled.

The way Kya’s looking at her has memories flashing through her mind. She’s itching to do something she  _ knows  _ is stupid. And for a moment, she nearly gives in. A couple of hours where they can forget the pain, and she could feel wanted.

They both deserve better.

“I got your letter,” she blurts out. It’s needless, because Kya  _ knows _ , because the turtleduck charm that Lin had sent in return hangs off the bracelet on her wrist that she still wears. Kya sees Lin’s gaze fall to the bracelet, and smiles fondly, as if to say  _ yes, of course I still have it. _

“I know.” Kya draws a breath, pulls her hand away from Lin’s face, and traces her fingers around the charms. “I have something I need to tell you.”

Her eyes slip shut, as though she’s preparing herself, and Lin is concerned, confused. She reaches out and wraps her fingers around Kya’s forearm. “What is it?”

She waits her out, feels the thundering of Kya’s pulse under her fingertips. Finally, she clears her throat, and meets Lin’s eyes with a determined gaze.

“We’re leaving for the South Pole tonight. Mom, uh… she doesn’t want to stay here, hence the…” Kya waves her hand towards the air acolytes buzzing around in the glow of the setting sun. “She’s getting some sleep now, but then Tenzin’s going to fly us out.”

Lin nods along, confused, waiting for the part Kya is so nervous about.

“And, I’m going to stay with her a while,” she nods to herself, and Lin can see the forced resolve, the pain swirling in her eyes. “She needs someone right now. And Tenzin’s… and Bumi- anyway,” she chuckles bitterly. “I have a point to make and I should probably quit rambling.”

She licks her lips, and looks out to the water for a moment, before looking back to Lin. “It’s… it’s been a while. And it looks like I’m settling down now, whether I’m ready or not. In all these years, I’ve never met anyone that could hold a candle to you. I’m not saying this because I think it’ll change things. We’re going to be further apart than ever, now,” Kya laughs, but it’s a sad sound. “I’m saying this because I think you should know. I’ve yet to love anyone the way I love you, and I’m beginning to think I might never.”

For a moment, Lin forgets how to breathe.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Kya continues. “In fact, I think I’d prefer you didn’t. I just… needed to tell you.”

And with that, Kya leaves her alone on the beach. She’s not sure how long she stays there, only knows that Izumi comes to find her and let her know that they’re getting ready to leave. But Lin can’t watch her leave again. She can’t do anything but replay Kya’s words in her mind, and cry.

It’s several hours before Lin feels like she’s capable of moving. The last ferry has long since come and gone, which rules out heading back tonight. Instead, she stumbles to the dormitories, with no real sense of direction, until she finds herself stood in the middle of Kya’s room.

It’s emptier than she’s ever seen it. Even with her comings and goings, this had always been her home. The ornaments that once lined her desk are gone, the bed is stripped, and a wardrobe door hangs open, exposing its empty innards. Too exhausted to process her emotions anymore, Lin slumps onto the unmade bed, and she’s asleep before her head even hits the pillow.

* * *

She wakes to the smell of tea, and a note in a scrawl she doesn’t recognise telling her that her mother’s called into work for her. Lin doesn’t have it in her to feel anything other than relieved.

She spends a couple of days on the island, going through the motions of eating and sleeping and not much else. Once Tenzin returns, she joins him in meditating and sparring. He didn’t ask, but he seems happy for the company. One night, they even manage to have a not-completely painful moment of reminiscing about Aang. But even in her disconnected stupor, Lin can see the looks his wife shoots them at all the time they spend together. And as much as she finds herself feeling lost without Tenzin to anchor her, she prepares to leave. She should get back to work, anyhow.

And although she’s mourning, she finds that her mind is never far from Kya, from her admission, for what it means. The fact that she never got to return the sentiment. The burning anger swirling in her stomach because why can’t something for  _ once _ work out the way she wants to? She  _ promised _ Aang she’d be happy. And she knows she’d be fine without Kya, fine once all this emotional turmoil has settled down and she’s focused on work. She’d be perfectly content with her life. But a part of her will always want Kya. It’s a feeling she’s grown used to; a feeling she  _ loathes _ . 

She finds herself alone in the courtyard, moving through forms she spent summers mastering on Kyoshi Island, trying to channel her frustrations into something constructive. It takes her a few minutes to notice that Zuko is leaning against a pillar, observing quietly. She turns to him, chest heaving, and gives a nod.

“Care to spar?” she offers, but he gives her a knowing eyebrow and a small smile.

“I thought you might want to talk.”

Lin sighs, scowling, but taking the bottled water he offers. She wants to say no, but instead,

“She told me she loved me, and then she left. What the fu-lameo does she expect me to do with that?”

She blinks at herself, surprised at the outburst, but Zuko’s patient face remains unchanged.

“Usually when someone tells you they love you, they want to hear it returned.”

Frustratedly, Lin discards the bottle and settles into a horse stance, preparing to work through some of her earthbending forms. “What good would that do?”

“Maybe help you both to figure some things out.”

Lin scoffs, glad for the burning in her muscles so that she can feel something other than the uncomfortable emotions roiling in her stomach. “Why does everyone think this is something that has a solution?”

Zuko’s silent, saved for an arched brow. Sighing, Lin explains, “Uncle Aang said something similar.”

“You spoke to Aang about this?” Zuko sounds surprised, and Lin huffs a self-deprecating laugh.

“Apparently Kya did. He was meddling. Don’t worry Uncle Zuko, you’re the only one I go to with my girl problems.”

That draws a deep laugh from her uncle, the likes of which she’s not heard for a long time. It echoes around the courtyard, and she can’t help but join in.

“You know, turtleduck, there is a simple solution.”

Lin sobers, feeling desperation tug at her heart, and shoots him a sharp look. “Is there?” she asks doubtfully.

“Make it work,” he says simply. “You’re needed here, and she’s needed there, and in all this time, nothing’s changed, has it?”

Lin stops, considering his words; thinking back to Aang’s. She supposes he’s right. Her feelings for Kya have always lain dormant despite her best efforts to ignore them until they simply went away. Maybe it was time to lean into them after all.

“I- I don’t even know if she-” she starts, faltering, before cutting herself off. Surely,  _ surely _ she wouldn’t have said anything if she wasn’t hoping for things to change too.

“Ask her,” Zuko prompts gently. Lin frowns.

“The phone lines are terrible, and I don’t want to put it in a letter, she deserves to hear it in person,” Lin doesn’t know when she started pacing, but there’s a lot of restless energy swirling around her now, and it’s far too much for her to stay still.

“So go to her,” he says, as though it’s that easy, as though the next boat for the South wasn’t for three weeks. Which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that long, but it’s plenty time enough for Lin to talk herself out of this. And she knows herself, knows if she doesn’t act  _ now _ , she never will.

As if Zuko is reading her thoughts, he says, “Take Druk.”

She freezes, looking up at Zuko in disbelief, but he seems impassive, as though he’s just offered her some tea and not his animal companion to take on a trip to the South Pole.

“Now?” Lin asks numbly. Zuko shrugs.

“No time like the present,” he says, pushing off the pillar. “I’ll go get him saddled.”

* * *

Which is how Lin finds herself bundled up on dragonback, mentally revising her 24th confession. 

The closer she gets, the harder her heart pounds in her chest, and she’s not sure if the tingling in her fingertips is from the thinness of the air, her inability to breathe, or the chill from the biting winds whipping around them. A part of her can’t believe she’s actually doing this. There have been several occasions over the last two days where she’s considered turning around, and one moment where she’d commanded Druk to do just that. But the dragon had just snorted at her, and carried on his path, as though Zuko had told him to ignore any such command. And now, as the structures of Harbor City near, a strange feeling of calm settles over her. Of confidence. Of determination. The closer they get to the ground, the more black dots she sees appearing amongst the houses. It’s not every day, after all, that a dragon flies to the South Pole. Druk glides over the city, taking them a few miles out to where Katara’s healing practice and house lay. As the dragon settles down and braces himself against the icy winds, she sees the door open. Katara steps out first, standing on the veranda as Kya approaches, looking deeply confused.

“Uncle Zuko?” she calls. “Is something wrong?”

Her jaw drops in shock as Lin jumps down from the saddle.

“ _ Lin? _ ”

“Hi,” Lin greets, an awkward smile on her face as she walks towards Kya.

“What are you doing here?”

Lin had an entire speech planned. The 24th draft, talking of the 23 previous and all the years between them. The meaning behind all of the gifts she’s ever given Kya, the way she feels, has always felt. But she wouldn’t be able to recall the words if she tried. All she can think of is the need to be  _ closer _ . Kya just stands, patiently waiting and almost slightly disbelieving as Lin reaches out to cup her face and pull her into a searing kiss. The taller woman lets out a surprised ‘mmph,’ but immediately softens, winding her fingers into Lin’s wind-knotted hair. Kya pulls away too quickly, and Lin immediately becomes aware of the fact that she’s been travelling for two days and is probably not looking too hot.

“What?” Kya breathes dazedly.

“I’m so sorry, I’ve been travelling for days and I probably look a state and-”

“Shut  _ up _ ,” Kya retorts thickly. “You’re  _ here _ . I can’t believe you’re here. What are you  _ doing _ here?”

“I- there was- we should-” Lin groans at herself in frustration, but she can’t help but revel in the way Kya’s cool fingers stroke her face lightly. She huffs, and Kya smiles patiently, her eyes sparkling.

“You’re freezing, love,” she murmurs softly, but Lin’s never felt warmer in her life. “Let’s head inside.”

Kya reaches to grasp Lin’s gloved hand, and tugs her towards the house, when she blurts,

“I love you too.”

She can’t bring herself to look at Kya, even at her back, instead managing to catch the amused gleam in Katara’s eyes as she remembers her aunt is standing watching the entire scene. Kya spins around, an impatient smile on her face.

“Yeah, I figured. You flew to the South Pole on a  _ dragon  _ to make a grand romantic gesture,” Kya teases, her eyes twinkling. She squeezes Lin’s hand. “And I’m not going to let you forget that any time soon. But unless you want to freeze to death, you should hurry up and get your cute ass inside.”

“Oh,” Lin says dumbly, as Kya leans down to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth, and dragging Lin inside.

“How long are you here for?” Katara asks as they shuffle inside. Lin shrugs, looking to the floor.

“I’m, uh- I’m not sure. I have a week right now, but… well, I’ve got some time saved up if I want it.”

When she looks up to meet Kya’s gaze, the older woman’s expression is so adoring that it floors her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

For the first time in a long time, Lin feels something similar to hope sparking in her chest. Things might just work out after all.

* * *

Something wakes Lin before she’s ready. It’s not the crackling sound of her alarm, nor the shrill ring of her telephone, nor pounding on her door. It takes a moment to place the soft pressure against her cheek and a hand brushing her hair back gently.

Confused, Link blinks awake blearily, and Kya slowly comes into focus.

Everything comes rushing back.

“Good morning, love,” Kya murmurs, and all Lin can do is smile sleepily in response. “Breakfast is ready.”

Lin’s nose wrinkles in displeasure. “Here?”

Kya laughs, and a thrill shoots down Lin’s spine. It’s been so long, too long since she last heard that sound, and it’s as beautiful as she remembers.

“No, of course not,” Kya rolls her eyes. “I know you better than that. It’s in the dining room.”

Lin frowns at the thought of leaving Kya’s (Kya’s!) warm bed, and Kya’s mellifluous laughter rings around the room again as Lin reaches up to grab at her wrist. Kya acquiesces, leaning down to press a playful kiss to Lin’s nose.

“Come on, sleepyhead. The food will get cold.”

“So will the bed,” Lin grumbles, shifting to a seated position. Kya’s mouth twists into an impish grin.

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to find a way to make it warm again,” she trails her fingers teasingly down Lin’s arm, and flits out of her reach as the metalbender swings her arms up in an attempt to drag Kya back to bed.

Lin lets out a disgruntled sound, but she fails to keep the scowl on her face as Kya chuckles once more.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing that,” she murmurs before she can stop herself. She freezes, and her eyes shoot slowly up to Kya’s, as though expecting some kind of chastisement. All she finds, though, is an awed smile waiting for her.

“Come on,” Lin says, swinging her legs out of the blanket and grinning up at Kya. “The quicker we eat, the quicker we can get back to bed.”

Kya smiles brightly at her, and hands her some clothes to change into. As she’s pulling her hair into a loose bun, she notices the glass ornaments lining the edge of the vanity mirror. Of course she’d taken them with her. Lin reaches out to grab the otter penguin, her fingers tracing delicately over the small whiskers. Kya’s arms wrap around her and her chin sinks into Lin’s shoulder.

“That one’s my favourite,” she murmurs into Lin’s ear. “That, or the heart charm.”

“Oh really?” Lin turns her head to look at Kya, and the waterbender brushes a kiss against Lin’s cheek as it passes. “How come?”

“I never could put my finger on it. And then, just as I was packing up my things on the Island, Uncle Zuko came in,” she says. “Told me you’d stayed up all night to make it because you wanted to make me smile.”

Lin feels her cheeks heat, and scowls at her uncle’s betrayal of confidence. Kya chuckles and kisses Lin’s cheek lightly.

“It worked, didn’t it?” she grumbles. Kya breathes a laugh again.

“That it did,” she agrees. “We should get to breakfast.”

Lin places the figurine back on the vanity and spins in Kya’s grip, letting her hands come to rest on her lover’s hips.

“Hmm, we should,” she agrees.

Breakfast goes cold.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider leaving a comment; it'll make my day :)


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